ISLAMABAD: The ban on the transfers and postings of officers of grade 20 and higher officials are badly affecting Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) efforts for the revenue collection for the ongoing fiscal year.
Normally, FBR carries out a comprehensive procedure of transfers and postings to place officers and staff in the month of July every year to achieve prescribed revenue target by any government in result of finance bill.
Most often, officers transferred in July are given one full year to demonstrate their best performance after understanding the on-ground dynamics of revenue collection. Generally no transfer posting is done in last four months of fiscal year.
But government under the directions of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has imposed ban on the transfers and postings in almost all the departments to avert their possible influence on the upcoming election process.
However, a official source at FBR told Customs Today that ban on transfers and postings in the FBR is affecting the daily business of the tax authority because the authority has been barred from placing required officers at the suitable places from where more and more revenue might be collected.
Furthermore, unlike other departments of the government, officers of the FBR can’t assert their influence over the election process or electioneering of the political parties because they have nothing to do with political maneuvering and canvassing.
The source further said that due to ban on the transfers of officers of higher grades, transfers of the lower grade officers were also not being made because most often officers try to field the team of their likeminded staffers under their jurisdictions. In a recent meeting with the caretaker finance minister, this issue was also discussed and FBR officials asked minister not to allow linking the transfers and postings with election process.
The source said that FBR officials also highlighted to the minister that FBR would be handicapped in implementing the strategy and plan of the new FBR chairman for the revenue collection because formation of next government would likely to be completed by the end of next month.
“Till the next government allows FBR transfers and postings, FBR will have lost two full months of the fiscal year without implementing the full year’s plan or strategy regarding revenue collection,” the source said.
Moreover, the source said that whole process of transfers and postings was carried out by FBR chairman and finance minister had no role in this regard; therefore, by granting permission to FBR for transfers and postings of officers, the government would also dilute the impression that officers were posted by the government to gain some specific political gains.
