ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar has appreciated the performance of FBR for achieving the revenue collection target in the October -December quarter of the current fiscal year and taking the revenue growth rate from 16% in end June to 19% by the close of December 2015.
The federal minister was addressing the 2-day Chief Commissioners Conference which concluded after a review of the targets achieved till date and discussing the strategy for revenue collection in the next six months.
The federal minister said the credit for the positive results goes to Nisar Mohammad Khan, Chairman FBR and his team which he said was ably guided by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Revenue, Haroon Akhtar Khan. He said among the whole range of economic indicators, revenue collection was indeed the most important indicator of growth. It is growth, that we are focusing now, having achieved economic stability, the minister remarked. He attributed the turnaround of the economy during the last two and a half years to efforts of the whole economic team including the FBR. He said that the economic achievements had been acknowledged by international financial institutions of repute as well as economic experts.
The Minister also credited nearly 40% increase in the number of filers to the FBR team which now stands at over one million. The federal minister called upon all the senior officials present on the occasion not to be complacent and keep up their efforts for meeting the revenue targets for the remainder of the year. He said it is really important to establish a relationship of cordiality between the tax payers and the FBR and remove all apprehensions in the minds of people about the system of tax collection. The minister on this occasion announced a special incentive allowance for the FBR employees in view of their good performance and also to encourage them keep up their efforts for enhancement of revenue.
The federral minister added that continued engagement and dialogue with the traders and business community has led to the announcement of Voluntary Tax Compliance Scheme. He said he is sorry to see certain quarters negatively portraying this sincere effort of the government which aims at facilitating the traders and businessmen. The scheme would also encourage a large number of people to enter the tax net, the Minister said.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue, Haroon Akhtar Khan and Chairman FBR Nisar Mohammad Khan assured the minister that the whole FBR team would put in its best efforts for maintaining the performance it had shown in the second quarter and endeavour to meet the revenue targets set for the current fiscal year. The Minister said his support to FBR in its efforts to promote tax culture in the country would always be forthcoming.
