ISLAMABAD: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera has asked Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to simplify procedures to attract taxpayers and improve tax-to-GDP ratio.
Addressing a gathering of exporters in Faisalabad, the FTO said FBR has been asked to introduce a simple mechanism for bringing new taxpayers into tax net. He said the system should be as easy as people come into tax net voluntarily instead of avoiding it.
He said that the FTO office was taking measures to resolves taxpayers’ issues through independent investigations about tax maladministration. He said that textile industry holds foremost importance in the economy with its 57 percent share in country’s exports and 8.5 percent in GDP. Textile exporters are major contributors to the economy and his office will leave no stone unturned to address the issues of exporters and industrialists, he said.
The FTO expressed disappointment over widening of trade deficit and heavy reliance upon foreign borrowings, adding the country’s exports have been declined from 25 billion dollars to 21 billion; whereas export growth of other countries in the region has increased manifolds.
