Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Tax Reforms Commission has given its recommendations in which it suggested to form a new tax authority in consultation with provinces to increase the tax net in the country. The Senate Standing Committee on Finance met at Parliament House on Wednesday with Salim Mandviwala Chairman of the Committee in the chair. During the meeting the Chairman of Tax Reforms Commission Masood Naqvi briefed the members about the proposals of his Commission. The Commission also asked the government to upgrade the IT system of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) according to the necessities of the modern times. He said that the committee had given the proposal earlier to appoint a professional Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in Pakistan Revenue Automation Ltd (PRAL). The big bosses of FBR told the meeting that government has recruited a highly professional computer expert and programmer in PRAL a subsidiary of FBR. On which Senator Mushahid Ullah asked the name of newly appointed CEO PRAL, but the FBR high-ups could not tell his name. Masood showed his resentment over ignoring the previous recommendations of the Commission for promoting tax culture and bringing reforms in FBR. He said that the government did not act upon these proposals as FBR does not want any reforms in tax system of the country. “The tax reforms commission had given a proposal three years ago that the Computerized national identity card of the non tax payer should be blocked until he files the tax return”, he added. Senator Kamil Ali Agha said that there is a dire need to restore the confidence of the tax payers on the system. If his business would give him good profit, he would pay more taxes. The committee has also adopted a foreign exchange bill.