RAWALPINDI: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Advisor, Tariq Ahad Nawaz, has assured the business community to resolve their grievances to provide them relief. During his visit to the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI) on Thursday he said that FTO Institutional Reforms Act 2013 was enacted to provide speedy and expeditious relief to the citizens by redressing their grievances to promote good governance. He stressed that business community should take benefit of the services of FTO.
While giving a presentation on FTO performance, the Advisor FTO said that in 2017 (up to 30th June 2017) FTO received 1022 complaints out of which 892 were redressed. Similarly, in 2018 (up to 30th June 2018), 901 complaints were received out of which 1008 disposed including 772 new and 236 old. He said out of 583 complaints, 457 were decided in favour with only 126 against. ”This result shows the useful role of FTO in addressing the genuine grievances of tax complainants.”, said Nawaz.
FTO has developed a very simple complaint filing procedure to make it easier for any aggrieved person to file complaint, personally or through courier service, email, online or fax, he added. He said all the complaints were promptly acknowledged by the FTO HQs or its Regional Offices online, email, by courier service or by hand. He asked business community to give their suggestions to further streamline the complaint redress system of FTO.
Speaking at the occasion, RCCI President Malik Shahid Saleem said that Businessmen being key tax payers only want respect and honor. There should be more incentives for filers than non-filers. To improve tax revenue, reformation in taxation system was the need of the hour. He said an efficient and effective Federal Tax Ombudsman would help provide speedy relief to complainants and would promote good governance, would reduce tax complaints, improve tax authority performance and would enhance tax revenue.
Former President Sohail Altaf said millions of rupees of taxpayers were stuck up with FBR in tax refunds and stressed that FTO should play its role in release of such refunds that would help in addressing liquidity issues of taxpayers. He said traders are not against the collection of taxes but they are against the harassment of Tax collection authorities in the name of tax collection.
Muhammad Badar Haroon, Senior Vice President, Muhmmad Fayyaz Qureshi Vice President, former presidents, members of the executive committee, representatives from tax bar associations and others also spoke at the occasion and gave proposals for providing speedy and expeditious relief to aggrieved taxpayers.
