ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to conduct an inquiry into the matter of issuing defective National Tax Number (NTN).
Sources told Customs Today that the FTO, while expressing concerns over misuse of authority by the FBR field offices staffers, directed the board to investigate the issuance of defective NTN by RTO/PRAL, Faisalabad.
The FTO passed the directions after completing investigations into an alleged matter of issuing defective NTN in the name of a Lahorite, Ali Mansoor Khan. Defective NTN was formulated and operated by the Faisalabad field office, the complainant identified in a plea submitted to the FTO.
Ali also submitted that the NTN was issued unilaterally by the FBR officials and thereafter certain amendments were made too.
The FTO, in its inquiry, also found that Ali was showed as an associate of Faisalabad based Al-Khawan Enterprises by formulators of defective NTN account.
Ali, in his plea to FTO stated that he had never been employed in Faisalabad or had administered business there, alone or in partnership, while the FBR was operating an NTN account from Faisalabad in his name.
Ali submitted that he was accidentally came to know that he was borne on the FBR income tax rolls when he inquired about applying for an NTN certificate after getting a job in Lahore.
The FBR officials in Lahore told that he had an NTN allotted in his name that was issued by FBR/PRAL, Faisalabad, Ali said in the complaint, adding that the NTN was issued in his name for which he had never applied.
The FBR/PRAL officials involved in creating defective NTN account had moved inter-departmental fake application to formulate the account, complainant added.
The complainant also stated that corrupt elements in Lahore and Faisalabad offices had been deliberately issuing NTN and certificates of individuals without their knowledge after getting their CNIC and other details from various sources.
The FTO was also informed that he (Ali) had written an application to PRAL CEO to lodge an FIR against officials involved after tracking them down. Unfortunately, the application went unheard and was to no avail, he added.
