ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is reluctant to disclose vital information regarding tax payments made by Politically-Exposed Persons (PEP) including high-level public officials (BPS-17 & above), their spouses/children/benamidars or beneficial owners on account of capital value tax on foreign assets, super tax and tax on deemed income basis introduced through the Finance Act 2022.

FBR Chairman Asim Ahmed has received a letter of the Lahore-based tax lawyer Waheed Shahzad Butt seeking data from the FBR.

According to the letter, an advocate of Lahore Waheed Shahzad Butt had requested access to this information under the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017 (RTI). The FBR’s long silence has once again proved that the RTI law is toothless and authorities are using it to deny even the basic data which was not declared as confidential under the FBR laws.

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The lawyer had requested a complete breakdown of the total payments made to the national exchequer by PEP for CVT, Super Tax and Deemed income tax.

It is stated that due to untiring efforts made by Pakistan Information Commission, government has decided to remove restrictions on the FBR from not disclosing information of the politically-exposed persons including high-level public officials under the Finance (Supplementary) Act, 2022.

Article 19-A of the Constitution enabled every Citizen of Pakistan to become independent of power centre to seek information on matters of public importance, Waheed Shahzad Butt added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023