‘FBR assures release of refunds’

KARACHI: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Mushtaq Ahmed Sukheera has assured the business community of early issuance of refunds by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

In a meeting with members of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) on Monday, the FTO said in a recent meeting, the FBR had assured of releasing pending sales tax refunds soon.

He also said it was also discussed that notices issued without barcode should be taken as criminal offence. The FTO said he had directed the FBR officials to facilitate tax return filers and provide relief of at least two years for service notices regarding general audit.

Sukheera said that the cost of production and doing business has increased massively, yet the spirit of the business community is remarkable.

Earlier, Kati president Tariq Malik welcomed the FTO at the association and briefed him about industry’s concerns. The industry is facing liquidity problems due to the stuck up refunds. He urged the FTO to play due role in resolving the issue.