LAHORE: Trust-based environment at workplaces helps achieve desired goals so the Regional Tax Office-II is following the practice in order to achieve revenue targets and facilitate taxpayers. The FBR has been showing outstanding performance for the last few years and the same efforts will be continuing to strengthen the national economy.
These views were expressed by RTO-II Deputy Commissioner Khawar Siddique in an interview with Customs Today at his office.
The Deputy Commissioner said that documented economy system is vital to improve national economy. Documented economy plays a key role in creating awareness among taxpayers to boost revenue collection and this problem must be solved on priority basis.
Khawar Siddique said that due to the strict laws for tax collection by the government, and by their proactive implementation and execution, tax collection has increase. Under the laws Inland Revenue officers can seal the business premises, conduct raids, seize the movable property and freeze the bank accounts of any tax defaulter.
He said that the tax collection throughout the country is improving because of untiring efforts of the IRS officers. He emphasized for strengthening the tax authorities by legislative amendments and recruiting new staff members i.e inspectors (IIR), clerical staff (steno typists, UDCs, LDCs) and armed guards. Khawar Siddique said that he is currently monitoring different tasks in the Regional Tax Office-II assigned by the Chief Commissioner and Commissioner of the zone.
He told that the compliance rate from the agents and taxpayers was not very good but after the strengthening of laws by the government tax collection has become easy.
Khawar Siddiqui hailed the efforts of RTO II under the supervision of Chief Commissioner and said the RTO-II is achieving the monthly targets every year. He appreciated the appointment of professional officer senior officers as chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and all members of FBR also a very good step by the government of Pakistan.
He said “FBR is the earning hand of the state and it must be strengthened by giving it more powers and facilities.” Khawar Siddique said although he supports tax friendly culture but he also believes that tax evasion is a crime and it should be dealt with an iron fist.
He said that the RTO-II has an efficient system to settle refund cases. In some refund cases, the taxpayers did not file the returns online timely or provide relevant documents to the department due to which the process became slow.
Khawar said that motivational training of all staff by the chief commissioner encouraged them to perform their duties diligently and honestly. He said that all sales tax and income tax matters were handled with coordination of Additional Commissioner as well.
