Daily Times

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has halted the purchase of over 1000 new vehicles for its officers, following the directives of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance.

According to media reports, the Chairman FBR Rashid Langrial in a statement said that the purchase of vehicles will remain frozen until the finance committee is satisfied. The committee has summoned the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) to clarify the rules governing the purchase.

The FBR had decided to purchase 1200cc vehicles for its officers on January 13, 2025, despite facing revenue shortfall. The decision was met with criticism, and the board had planned to pay Rs. 3 billion upfront and the remaining amount in installments.

The 1010 vehicles were supposed to be delivered from January to May, with 75 vehicles in January, 200 in February, 225 in March, 250 in April, and 260 in May. However, the purchase has now been put on hold indefinitely. Earlier, Senator Faisal Vawda criticised the FBR, saying that there is evidence of officials misusing cars, including removing stickers and using them for personal purposes

He took a jibe at the FBR’s move to purchase over 1,000 vehicles for its staff despite revenue shortfall. Speaking at the floor of Senate, Faisal Vawda said FBR failed to achieve Rs384 billion revenue target and yet are getting vehicles.

“Shortfall in FBR’s targets might be the reason behind rewarding them with new vehicles.” Faisal Vawda further said if you insist on fulfilling your desires and providing vehicles, but why not opt for economical options like 600cc cars instead of locking in 1,300cc ones?

Threats to Vawda

Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) the Inland Revenue Service Officers Association has strongly rejected the ‘threat’ allegations levelled by Senator Faisal Vawda.

In an official statement, Inland Revenue Service Officers association of FBR asserted that allegations raised by Faisal Vawda are baseless and challenged him to provide evidence to support his claim.

“Baseless accusations could harm the tax collection process,” the FBR officers warned Senator Faisal Vawda.

The statement further said that all government vehicle purchases were made in compliance with regulations. Reaffirming their commitment to honesty and professionalism, the Inland Revenue Service officers stated that they would defend their dignity and integrity under all circumstances.

The clarification comes from Federal Board of Revenue officers after Vawda raised allegations of dire threats from its officers.

On Thursday, Faisal Vawda claimed to have received ‘death threats’ from the Federal Board of Revenue over his criticism of the board’s plan to purchase over 1,000.

Vawda made the shocking claims during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance.

The politician said that Federal Board of Revenue officials including Ali Salih, Shahid and Dr. Sajjad Siddiqui issued death threats following the committee’s January 22 meeting.

Faisal Vawda claimed that the FBR officials raided his company after he proposed providing 1,010 cheap vehicles to the FBR officials.

According to Senator Vawda, the Federal Board of Revenue officials harassed the multinational company’s employees and threatened to finish his business.