LAHORE: The Regional Tax Office (RTO) has banned entry of cars on the premises for taxpayers, employees and consultant who do not have the vehicles registered on their names, it is learnt.
According to the management, the measure has been taken to ensure foolproof security. The sources said that the RTO has issued parking stickers to the taxpayers, employees and the consultants against their vehicle registration. Others who are taxpayers, employees and consultants at the RTO but do not have the vehicles’ registration on their names are not allowed entry.
“The RTO is a public place and has sufficient parking inside it but I have been asked to park my car outside the RTO premises. I am an employee in a company and this is why I cannot have a car registered on my name,” Tanveer Ahamad, a taxpayer said.
Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union (CBA) Mian Abdul Qayum has also reacted against the ban on entry of the employees and the taxpayers vehicles. He told Customs Today that ban on the parking of the car inside the RTO has become issue despite the fact that there is an abundance of space available for the parking inside the RTO premises.
“Employees including DCITs and deputy commissioners have been banned parking. The management has given the reason that car must be registered on the name of the taxpayers, employees who want to park the car inside the RTO parking. The reason does not make sense as brothers, wives, sisters and other acquaintances can also use the car which is common practice in our society,” the employees union president said, adding that if the management wants parking fee, it should ask for that.
Registration of cars for the taxpayers and employees visiting the RTO should not be made mandatory. “The FBR is made for the taxpayers if the taxpayers are not facilitated here the collection of the revenue may decline,” he said. He urged FBR Chairman Tariq Bajwa to order the RTO management to allow taxpayers, employees and consultants to park their cars inside the Tax House. He also informed that the management has pledged to resolve the issue by the month end and if it fails the employees union will act accordingly.
