FPCCI commends establishment of national tax policy unit

KARACHI: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has commended reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) regarding the federal government’s decision to establish the national tax policy unit.

According to the FPCCI’s announcement, President of FPCCI Atif Ikram Sheikh said that separating tax policy and tax collection from the FBR is in the national interest as separating tax collection and decision-making powers from the FBR was inevitable.

He noted that having the tax collector as the decision-maker leads to corruption and increased tax evasion and added that the business community has long demanded the separation of decision-making powers from the FBR.

He said that expanding the tax base and simplifying the system should be the guiding principles of reforms and opined that under the supervision of the finance minister, the national tax policy unit will increase the tax net.

With the separation of the policy unit, the FBR will be able to focus better on tax collection, Sheikh said and added that the business community’s tax proposals should also be considered in order to increase tax revenue. He hoped that all stakeholders, including the FPCCI, will be involved in tax policymaking.