Working group formed to submit proposals before finalising FBR reform plan

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of increasing trust deficit over proposed reform plan among mid carrier officers, the FBR has established a working group comprising of ten officers for incorporating their proposals before finalising reform plan tabled by Dr Ishrat Hussain.

This working group comprises of Muhammad Abu Bakar, Chief (Projects and Reforms) with the assignment to submit proposal on functional and organisational restructuring of the FBR.

Uzma Munir, Special Assistant to Member Inland Revenue Operations Wing will submit her input in area of Functional and Organisational restructuring of the FBR. Muhammad Majid, Chief Taxpayer Audit Wing, will present reform framework of risk-based audit. Najib Qadir, Chief Legal FBR, has been given assignment of improving the Appellate System.

Talha Aziz Qadir, Chief IT Wing, has been assigned to suggest improving automation and business processes re-engineering including simplification of codes, rules, laws, and procedures for filing taxes.

Saeed Khan Jadoon, Chief (Customs) would throw light on customs operations under the framework of the FBR reforms. Saleem Akhtar Chief HRM would give suggestions on the integrity management and barrister Nosherwan Khan, Chief International Taxes would deal with the area of international taxes. Dr Najibullah, Chief Policy (IR) Wing has been given the assignment to give suggestions on reducing the scope of the withholding tax regime.

Ejaz Ahmed Bajwa, Chief Management Inland Revenue and Saleem Akhtar, Chief HRM would submit their feedback on the human resource policies and management and they would also submit proposals on more autonomy to the field formations. Dr Yasmin Fatima, Chief Reforms (Reforms and Modernisation Wing) would be responsible to submit proposals on the media management and public outreach and monitoring and evaluation. Under the integrity management reforms, the FBR would create deterrence against corruption by revising efficiency and disciplinary rules for taking strict and prompt action against the tax officials found involved in malpractices and negligence, while performing their duties.

The framework for the FBR reforms also focused on the integration of third-party databases of the Nadra, the SBP, the AGPR, and the provincial governments with the FBR's centralised databases, and a single system for filing of sales tax returns for the federal and provincial taxes.