The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will take new steps to strengthen its helpline facility to promptly guide the taxpayers on return filing, registration and other tax related issues. Sources told Business Recorder here on Friday that the FBR Chairman and Members of FBR had a meeting at FBR (HQ) to hear presentation on recent FBR Facilitation and Taxpayer Education (FATE) Wing initiatives ie issues of Helpline-Merger; co-ordination with DFID and GIZ; new social media strategy, tax awareness via Tax Fair and use of Urdu.
On the issue of FBR Helpline, sources said the FBR Admn Wing would provide staff from taxes and customs departments on rotation basis, for Helpline duty to answer technical questions. The FATE Wing will make SOP (on phone/E-mail queries) on Helpline. Helpline staff will be given short training on answering calls and PRAL will replace Helpline furniture/equipment with new-one. FATE Wing will conduct formal opening for Helpline after physical refurbishment by Pakistan Revenue Automaton Limited (PRAL).
Regarding internal communication, it has been decided that all FBR Wings will co-ordinate with other Wings before finalising issues and follow Internal Communication Policy (ICP) to the full. PRAL and Admn will work out training-in, and full-use of e-dox software for a paper-less office. Moreover, FATE Wing will outline measureable on internal communication at the next meeting. It has also been decided that the implementation on FBR's internal communication policy of field's offices will be ensured. Pendency and names of focal persons will be reported by all FBR-Wings according to Internal Communication Policy.
On the issue of External Communication Policy, the FBR has decided that the External Communication policy will be presented by FATE Wing at early date. FATE Wing will start holding media moot once-a-month, with FBR Members, and spokesperson to attend to media-briefings. First event will be held to commemorate the one million Returns mark. All field offices will start use of e-Dox from November, 2015. The IT Wing will have Internal Communication Groups created with electronic communication tools for all offices. (Personal e-mails will not be used in Groups). They would then start using the intranet for communicating, they added.