Islamabad: On Thursday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan directed the officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to begin recording their official interactions with traders, a news source reported.
As per sources, recording the interactions between the FBR officials and traders would help cut down corruption, and encourage public trust in the proceedings of the taxation agency.
While chairing a meeting, the PM stated that bringing reforms in the FBR was critical. He added that the restoration of the public’s confidence in the FBR was going to help with broadening the tax net.
FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi briefed the PM about the following:
Automation of several FBR processes so that the public did not have to interact with officials
Web portal for accessing financial details that the FBR receives from various institutions
Enhanced effectiveness of online complaint resolution system, for immediate disposal of complaints against FBR officials
‘Tax Asaan’ mobile application for facilitating taxpayers
Ease of paying taxes for shopkeepers and retailers
Translation of tax forms into Urdu, and expected launch of FBR’s website in Urdu
Zaidi also informed PM Imran that FBR teams were visiting the markets to brief people regarding online registration of cell phones brought from abroad, passenger information systems, and the currency declaration system at the airports.
Zaidi stated that they were installing scanners at the various custom stations. He added that a customs facility was available 24/7 at the Torkham border, and that customs operations at the Kartarpur border would start within the next few weeks.
