LAHORE: As part of its initiative to rope in public and private sector organisations and companies in its ongoing drive for filing of income tax returns, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has approached the country’s cellular sector to facilitate workforce employed to become part of the tax system by filing their tax returns. The FBR’s effort to engage more than 50 leading corporations and companies of the country is being spearheaded by Nausheen Javaid Amjad, member Facilitation and Taxpayers Education (FATE) Wing, who along with her team Thursday met the Mobilink’s management at the company’s head office and briefed them about a keen desire within FBR to facilitate employees of large companies to file their income tax returns. Mobilink’s CEO Aamer Ibrahim, Corporate Economic Affairs Vice President Ibrar Khan, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer Syed Ali Naseer were also present. FATE Wing Chief Tehmina Aamer accompanied the FATE member. During the meeting, Nausheen Amjad said that in pursuance of the concept of corporate social responsibility and build up a friendly interface with taxpayers, the FBR was trying to reach out to large public and private sector organisations and companies. “We are confident that together with companies such as Mobilink, we can boost the rate of filing, as the filing of income tax returns was not only a legal obligation but also a national duty,” she said, adding that the FBR was willing to provide any facilitation and training to help Mobilink employees e-file and become part of the tax system. Mobilink CEO Aamer Ibrahim lauded the FBR’s initiative and expressed his company’s full support for it. He said that the Mobilink, being one of the leading multinationals of the country, was happy to work with the FBR to boost rate of taxation. “We would love to spearhead a positive ethos about the role of taxes in national development and how we can take the country forward,” he said. He also welcomed the FBR’s offer to help Mobilink employees e-file and instructed his team to work with the FBR in the coming days to arrange facilitative sessions for officers and staff of the company so that the company – being one of the largest contributors to revenue generation efforts of the FBR – could also emerge as a leader with its workforce as filers and enjoying the benefits of filing in terms of reduced taxes on a range of business and bank transactions. Published in Daily Times, September 15th 2017.