ISLAMABAD: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Abdur Rauf Chaudhry while taking exception to the misuse of confiscated vehicles, directed the Directorate General of Internal Audit (Customs) and Directorate General of Internal Audit Inland Revenue to conduct investigation into the issue.
As per details, the FTO Office received a complaint about the misuse of the confiscated vehicles by the officials of the FBR and its field formations. The issue mainly related to the period during the tenure of a former FBR chairman. The FTO took exception to the complaint and directed the Directorate Generals concerned of the FBR to conduct a thorough investigation into the issue.
The DG Internal Audit (Customs) and DG Internal Audit IR, during the investigation will investigate whether or not tax officials are using official vehicles despite obtaining transport monetisation. They will also weigh up veracity of the allegations levelled by the complainant.
It is to be noted that in the past, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet had allowed disposal of around 500 non-duty paid ‘tampered vehicles’ seized by customs. On a summary, the ECC decided that all parts of confiscated vehicles will be dismantled and auctioned and would not be sold in complete or intact condition.
A summary was also approved by the ECC in 2006 to dispose of such vehicles with the directive that confiscated buses and vans may be utilised for pick and drop of officers and staff working in FBR Headquarters and field formations. Other vehicles (cars, jeeps etc) may be auctioned to the government/semi government departments at the highest price offered and any leftover vehicles may be offered free of cost to the government-owned educational (medical and scientific institutions) as recommended by the respective ministries, on first come first serve basis.
The vehicles with tampered chassis were offered to government departments and other institutions against a price. However, the government departments selected those vehicles which were in better condition and require less expenditure on repair. As a result, a number of confiscated vehicles remain unsold due to their unserviceable condition. It was proposed that it is economically unviable to make these vehicles operational and road worthy because of the huge maintenance/repair expenditure involved.
It was proposed that all body parts of confiscated tampered vehicles for which there are no offers from any government departments, may be detached/dismantled before putting up for auction. The Revenue Division stated that all vehicles of makes before 1990 should be dismantled; and for vehicles of a later period, a committee headed by Additional Collector Customs and comprising Assistant Collector, Auction/State Ware House and Deputy Director Intelligence & Investigation, Customs may be constituted. Once a vehicle is certified to be un-serviceable and liable to be scrapped, the Collector may order dismantling of the vehicle under the supervision of the committee.
