Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has appreciated Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for achieving the revenue collection target in the October-December quarter of the current fiscal year and taking the revenue growth rate from 16% in end-June to 19% by the close of December 2015.

The minister was addressing the two-day Chief Commissioners Conference that concluded on Friday after a review of the targets achieved till date and discussing the strategy for revenue collection in the next six months, a statement of the Ministry of Finance issued on Friday said.

The minister said the credit for the positive results went to FBR Chairman Nisar Mohammad Khan and his team which, he said,
was guided by Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Revenue Haroon Akhtar Khan.

Dar said among the whole range of economic indicators, revenue collection was indeed the most important indicator of growth. “It is growth, that we are focusing now, having achieved economic stability,” the minister remarked. He attributed the turnaround of the economy during the last two and a half years to efforts of the whole economic team including the FBR. He said the economic achievements had been acknowledged by international financial institutions of repute as well as economic experts. Dar credited nearly 40% increase in the number of filers to the FBR team which now stood at over one million.

He called upon all the senior officials present on the occasion not to be complacent and keep up their efforts for meeting the revenue targets for the remainder of the year. He said it was really important to establish a relationship of cordiality between the taxpayers and the FBR and remove all apprehensions in the minds of people about the system of tax collection. The minister announced a special incentive allowance for the FBR employees in view of their good performance and also to encourage them keep up their efforts for enhancement of revenue.

Continued engagement and dialogue with the traders and business community had led to the announcement of Voluntary Tax Compliance Scheme, the minister said, adding that he was sorry to see certain quarters negatively portraying this sincere effort of the government which aimed at facilitating the traders and businessmen.

The scheme would also encourage a large number of people to enter the tax net, the minister said. Haroon Akhtar Khan and FBR Chairman Nisar Mohammad Khan assured the minister that the whole FBR team would make efforts for maintaining the performance it had shown in the second quarter and endeavour to meet the revenue targets set for the current fiscal year.