Taxmen told to declare personal assets by July 20 or face action

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed officials of Inland Revenue Service (IRS) and Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) to declare their assets with the board by July 20, 2019, in a bid to purge the tax apparatus of corrupt elements, sources said on Friday.

Submission of asset declaration was mandatory for government officials under the law and non-submission would lead to penal action against the government official.

An official at the FBR said the declaration was part of performance evaluation report (PER) of a government functionary; however, many officers of Pakistan Customs and Inland Revenue had not submitted their declaration for past several years.

“… despite repeated reminders/instructions issued from time to time, the PERs for the year ending June 30, 2018 as well as for the previous years of various officers have yet not been received,” the official added.

The FBR has informed the officers that in absence of up-to-date PERs, the performance evaluation of officer due for promotion, mandatory training for promotion or posting abroad etc. cannot be properly judged and such cases are thus considerably delayed for want of updated record.

Sources in Pakistan Customs said many officers had not submitted their asset declarations due to earnings beyond means.

Many officials were living luxurious lives and their children were studying abroad besides they were frequently visiting foreign countries, which did not match with their official income, the sources said.

The tax authority has told all the concerned officers in both departments to furnish their PER forms to the concerned heads, who are further directed to obtain declaration of assets in respect of officers from BS-16 and above working under their administrative controls.

The FBR officers, according to sources, are required to submit assets details such as: immovable assets including agriculture, non-agriculture, residential, commercial, and industrial properties; movable assets including cash in hand, motor vehicles, jewelry, household items, appliances/equipment, business capital etc; investments such as bonds, shares, certificates, deposits/advances, loans granted etc; and details of bank accounts.

Non-compliance by the FBR officials will be dealt as misconduct in terms of Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964 and cognisable under the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973.

As per the above law: “No government servant shall live beyond his means or indulge in ostentation on occasions of marriage or other ceremonies.”

The sources said the FBR had been willfully silent on the non-compliance of its officials in submitting asset declarations for many years.

The law related to government servants has fixed the responsibilities upon the ministries/departments to obtain the declaration of assets in respect of persons serving under them, and take disciplinary action against those officers/ officials, who do not submit each declaration by the prescribed date or within fifteen days.

The sources said in case of failure, a head of department has been empowered to order an investigation against the defaulting official through an internal inquiry or by engaging Federal Investigation Agency, which should be followed by proceedings under disciplinary rules.