ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Asad Umar held a meeting with a delegation of Pakistan Business Council (PBC) here Wednesday.
The PBC delegation discussed with the Minister the overall business environment in the country and made recommendations for necessary policy interventions to enhance business & commercial activity in the economy. The recommendations included measures related to tax as well as ease of doing business in general.
Finance Minister said the government believed in facilitating all sectors of the economy and was taking serious measures to create an enabling business environment. Having a quality tax regime which could help achieve this end was among government’s top priorities. The Minister particularly expressed government’s commitment to resolve the sales tax refund issue on a sustainable basis. He informed the delegation that FBR had been directed to review and improve the Expeditious Refund System (ERS) parameters to ensure early processing of exporters’ claims. He said that the procedure for processing of DLTL claims was also being revised to ensure that the delays are eliminated.
The delegation also raised the issue of GIDC. The Minister said that the prolonged litigation was neither in the interest of the business community nor the government. He sought recommendations of the business community to resolve this long standing issue.
The Minister said that the government was working on enhancing productivity of various sectors and promoting value addition with a view to achieving export enhancement and job creation. He invited the business community to make suggestions for achieving these objectives.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industries, Abdul Razak Dawood, Minister of State for Revenue, Mohammad Hammad Azhar were also present in the meeting.
