The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has imposed a ban on all kinds of leaves of officials working in the FBR and its field formations to focus on achievement of the assigned revenue collection targets for 2019-2020. In this regard, the FBR has issued instructions to the heads of the Inland Revenue Service and the Pakistan Customs Service.

According to a circular issued by the FBR here on Wednesday, it has been observed with concern that field formations of the FBR are forwarding requests for grant of leaves, including ex-Pakistan leave despite the fact that the third quarter of the current financial year is nearing its completion and the entire tax machinery is required to accelerate its efforts to achieve the assigned budgetary targets through full devotion during the balance part of the current financial year.

In view of above, the competent authority has directed that requests for grant of ex-Pakistan leaves may not be forwarded to the board by the respective heads of field formations till June 30, 2020 except, requests for Hajj, Umrah and Ziarat.

All such cases shall be processed in the board after the beginning of next financial year. Similarly, local leaves/leaves of other kinds may also not be granted liberally and may only be allowed in the light of special circumstances/hardship cases, the FBR added.