Daily Times

The Senate Finance and Revenue Committee urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to seek speedy disposal of weighty cases by the FBR before various courts specifically those bringing significant revenue to the country.

Senator Saleem Mandviwalla presides over a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, said a press release issued here on Tuesday.

The committee was apprised that a total of 76,349 pending litigation cases Inland Revenue service till Dec 31, 2022 amounting to a total of Rs 2.330 bl out of which 63,655 cases are of the appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue.

The FBR informed the committee that they are trying to approach the secretary and Minister Law for record of these cases. The Chairman FBR informed the committee that back-to-back meetings with the chief Justice Lahore High Court and Chief Justice Islamabad High court are being conducted and making all efforts to liquidate its pendency. Mandviwalla said that the Customs Operation wing has already set up Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADRCs) mechanism for quick and amicable disposal of pending litigation cases and settlement should be made through ADRCs’ the committee also suggested if cases can be resolved outside court.

It was also suggested that cases should be disposed of on the basis of the “benefit of doubt”. The FBR informed that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has prioritized the disposal of revenue cases by constituting three benches where revenue cases are fixed on daily basis. Likewise on the matter of notices being sent by the FBR to business persons under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, was also taken under discussion once again.

The chairman FBR commented that we are cautiously identifying cases. He said that huge tax evasion was detected in the case of PEB Industries PVT. Limited during the inquiry and in the light of information received from the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), it was further informed that the accused was provided ample opportunities but it failed to respond. The chairman committee reserved that there is difference between tax evasion and AMLA and failing to response cannot fall under the category of money laundering. The chairman committee compelled the FBR to avoid bundling up cases under the AMLA act hampering the business community to trade he also put special emphasis on keeping a close check on pending cases in different fora for early disposal and discourage frivolous litigation.

The committee informed that all chief collectors/Director General have been asked to forward the recommendations for filing appeals/SCRAs after satisfying themselves to the law. Discussion on the matter referred by the Chairman Senate regarding amendments in Customs Act 1969 and inclusion of import issues in the next budget raised by Senior Vice Chairman, Rawalpindi Goods Forwarding Association was also taken up. The Rawalpindi Goods Forwarding Association complained that Customs goods already cleared at entry points are unnecessarily checked during transportation across the country on the pretext of being smuggled ones. “Road Interruption, Simply Corruption” Senator Kamil Ali Agha remarked while regretting the norms of the field formation. He said that these field formations are in wait of bribes and added that deliberate snubbing of the business vehicles is unjustified and causes enormous losses to the vehicle companies. The Federal Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha said that it is an administrative procedure and an amendment in the act is not required at this stage.