PM for unmasking tax evaders, action against facilitators

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GEO NEWS
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Prime Minister Imran Khan, while chairing a meeting over government’s steps for revenue generation, also directs for utilisation of latest mechanism to bring non-tax payers under the tax net. — Geo News FILE

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday directed for exposing the tax evaders and defaulters before public through indiscriminate action, besides ensuring appropriate proceedings against corrupt elements in the revenue and tax departments who had been involved in facilitating such tax evasion.

Chairing a meeting over government’s steps for revenue generation, the prime minister also directed for facilitating regular tax payers instead of causing harassment to them.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Asad Umar, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Minister of State for Revenue Hamad Azhar, PM’s spokesperson Nadeem Afzal Chan, Special Assistant to PM Iftikhar Durrani, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Jehanzeb Khan and other officials, said a statement issued from the PM's office .

During the meeting, Khan observed that tax evaders were enemies of the country and nation, and they did not deserve any kind of leniency.

The FBR chairman briefed the meeting about steps taken for collection of taxes, broadening of the tax net base, and recovery of taxes from defaulters.

He apprised that a total of 6,000 cases of high net worth persons had been under consideration in which a total of Rs2 billion income was expected, out of which, Rs1.3 billion had been recovered so far.

Another sum of more than Rs1.5 billion had been recovered from 66 cases in which information collection and investigation process was underway, he added.

In the offshore assets cases, Jehanzeb said further, more than Rs6 billion outstanding taxes had been recovered whereas under Section 214-e, Rs1.573 billion recoveries had been made.

The FBR chairman informed that mapping of about 2,000 plazas had been completed, whereas for the collection of recoverable taxes, automated tax collection system had been installed at more than 2,500 points of sale.

The FBR expected to get Rs24.818 billion under the latest measures and out of which an amount of 11.882 billion rupees had been received so far, it was said.

The premier directed for utilisation of latest mechanism for recoverable taxes so as to bring non-tax payers under the tax net, besides providing facilities for the regular tax payers.