“I make sure that the grievances of the taxpayers are immediately addressed”

Dr Asif Jah served in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for 30 years before he was appointed the federal tax ombudsman (FTO) in August 2021. He is an upright officer who once apprehended a leading importer bringing in stents used in heart surgery declaring a Rs500 value while it was sold in the market for Rs50,000.He also frustrated a smuggling bid at Lahore airport, recovering 20 kilogram gold concealed in the body of a fridge. In this exclusive interview with The News on Sunday, Dr Jah talks about how the office of the tax ombudsman works and the measures he has taken for it to run smoothly. Excerpts: