Daily Times

The federal government has removed Shabbar Zaidi as chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), appointing Nausheen Javaid Amjad as the new chairperson.

In the absence of Zaidi, Nausheen Amjad, a BS-22 officer of Inland Revenue Service presently posted as Member (Administration), had been chairing the revenue since February. The federal cabinet approved her appointment as the FBR chief after circulating a summary in this regard. Zaidi

According to a notification by the Establishment Division dated April 3, the selection committee ‘unanimously recommended’ that Nausheen Amjad be appointed as the new chairperson, adding that Zaidi had been appointed as the chairperson for a period of two years on an honorary basis.

When contacted over the phone, Zaidi told a private TV channel that he is in Karachi. “I am on leave and under medical treatment,” he said.

Sources in FBR said before going on leave, Zaidi had met Adviser to the Prime Minister on Revenue Dr Hafeez Shaikh and senior officials of the finance division and informed them that he was taking leave for an indefinite period.

Nausheen is the second woman to lead the organisation of 25,000 people and the fourth chairperson in the last 20 months. She faces a gigantic task of stopping the nosediving tax revenues, restructuring the top FBR hierarchy within days and improving the tainted image of the tax machinery. She will also have to address the issue of rampant corruption, particularly fresh reports regarding some officers receiving kickbacks from taxpayers for putting their names on the list of those who will receive tax refunds on a priority basis under the PM’s COVID-19 relief package.