The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has suspended six officials for being unauthorisedly absent from their assigned duties at sugar mills, reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and dereliction of duty.
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According to an official news release issued on Monday, the officials had been deployed under Section 40B of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 to monitor sugar production and ensure effective, transparent and uninterrupted oversight at sugar mills. Their absence was detected during routine monitoring and verification by the Large Tax Office (LTO) Lahore.
FBR Suspends Officials Absent from Sugar Mill Monitoring Duties….
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The LTO Lahore, which is responsible for supervising the attendance, conduct and performance of monitoring teams within its jurisdiction, flagged the matter after confirming that the officials were not present at their designated posts without authorisation. The lapse was termed serious, given the sensitivity of sugar production monitoring and its direct link to revenue collection.
In view of the gravity of the matter, LTO Lahore has proposed the initiation of formal disciplinary proceedings against the concerned officials in accordance with applicable service rules and procedures. As an immediate measure, the officials have been suspended to ensure accountability and to prevent any disruption or compromise in the monitoring process at sugar mills.
The FBR reiterated its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of discipline, integrity and professionalism across all its field formations. It warned that any form of misconduct, negligence or non-compliance with assigned responsibilities would be dealt with strictly under the law.
The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of the sugar sector. In November, the FBR had deployed special monitoring teams at sugar mills nationwide to curb tax evasion and prevent revenue leakage. Sugar is among the notified commodities that the tax authority monitors closely due to its economic importance and history of irregularities.
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Officials say the monitoring mechanism is aimed at ensuring accurate reporting of production, proper tax collection and transparency in the supply chain. The FBR has stressed that strict action will continue against any personnel found undermining these efforts.