ISLAMABAD: Federal Tax Ombudsman, Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera has said that protecting the interests of taxpayers is the key priority and FTO is providing relief to taxpayers by carrying out independent investigations about the maladministration by functionaries administering the federal taxes.
Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera said this on Thursday while inaugurating a facilitation desk of Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) set up in the premises of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI).
With the establishment of FTO facilitation desk, the aggrieved members of ICCI would now be able to lodge complaints on any tax issue against the functionaries administering the federal taxes and get their grievances resolved through this facility.
Sukhera e said that FTO would work with FBR for setting timelines for tax cases to ensure their timely disposal. He said criminal cases should be filed against those tax functionaries who were involved in malpractices and corruption.
He said ensuring the self-respect of taxpayers is the responsibility of the state and state should honour this responsibility. He said that SMEs are the backbone of the economy and they need more focus of the government for ease of doing business.
He said that a fair, just, efficient and simplified tax system is needed to promote tax culture in the country.
He appreciated the efforts of ICCI for providing better facilities to its members by setting up facilitation desks of various organizations that would help in resolving their key issues and promoting business activities.
Speaking at the occasion, President ICCI Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that ICCI is striving to provide maximum facilitation to its members in business promotion and the establishment of FTO Facilitation Desk at Chamber is another right step in that direction. He said that ICCI would also set up the facilitation desks of CDA, NADRA, SMEDA and Passport Office to provide more facilitation to its members.
The ICCI members on the occasion highlighted many tax issues including repeated selection of same taxpayers for audit, issue of Sec-8B, long delay in clearance of refunds and emphasized that FTO should work with FBR in resolving the highlighted issues.
Sarwat Tahira Habib, Secretary FTO Secretariat, Mian Akram Farid, Chairman Founder Group, Saifur Rehman Khan, Vice President ICCI, Zubair Ahmed Malik, Ch Waheedud Din, Mian Shaukat Masud, Khalid Iqbal Malik, Naeem Siddiqui, Malik Sohail Hussain, Mian Ramzan and
