The chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue, Dr Muhammad Irshad, on Thursday instructed regional tax officers to stop the issuance of notices to ginners and freezing of their bank accounts forthwith. He gave the assurance that some concessions and facilities will be given to the ginning industry in the coming budget. All disputed matters and other obstacles will be removed through legislation in the National assembly.
A delegation of ginners headed by the chairman of the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association, Dr Jeso Mal visited the FBR office and met Dr Muhammad Irshad and discussed the issues faced by the ginners.
Dr Irshad said that the government honours its regular taxpayers like ginners. He gave the assurance that the ginners' concerns will be removed. Dr Jeso Mal apprised him of ginners' grievances and said that issuances of current notices and freezing of bank accounts and unjust deductions have disturbed the ginners' community and affecting the business atmosphere in the country. He said that anti-business measures of the taxation department are hampering business activities.
Dr Jeso Mal said that all the leading economies are giving incentives to expedite economic activities in their respective countries, but in Pakistan those at the helm of affairs are doing the opposite, at a time when almost all businesses face a number of internal and external pressures.
The PCGA chairman said that actions like freezing of bank accounts and issuing notices to ginners had hampered economic activities.
He said that Dr Muhammad Irshad study the whole situation and stop FBR officials from using discouraging tactics. He said that if there is an urgent need for action against a particular ginning unit, FBR officials should be directed to take the PCGA on board.
The PCGA delegation called on a number of member of the National Assembly and Senate and submitted its proposals and recommendations to legislate about the affairs of the ginning industry.