LAHORE: Acting President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan has demanded of the Federal Board of Revenue not to treat business community as criminals and stop conducting raids at the markets as it is creating harassment amongst the business community.
While talking to a delegation of Pakistan Automobile Spare Parts Importers & Dealers Association (PASPIDA) here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan said that the business community is the major source of revenue for the government but the Federal Board of Revenue is busy to squeeze them.
“Tough reportedly tax officials have agreed to suspend raids for one month but this is not the solution. No such action should be taken without taking concerned chamber and association on board”, the LCCI Acting President added.
He said that importers of Automobile Spare Parts are already paying 100% advance sales tax at source even before sales therefore such raids should not been conducted as such measures are disturbing honest taxpayers. He said that unfortunately concerned Chambers and associations are also not being taken into confidence before taking such ultimate actions in the markets.
The LCCI Acting President said that Federal Board of Revenue would not be able to meet its revenue target set for the year 2017-18 if anti-business measures like raids on business premises are not stopped.
He urged the Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to immediately stop the FBR from this practice that is pushing the tax payers to the wall besides denting the reputation of a business-friendly government.
He said that the Federal Board of Revenue was constituted to facilitate the businessmen but it is presently doing the other way round through.
He said that these acts of the Federal Board of Revenue are not only defaming the government but also vitiating the business atmosphere in the province of Punjab.
He said that it is unfortunate that the FBR is not releasing what it owes to the business community but creating troubles for the businessmen for the recovery of its outstanding dues just to meet the revenue targets and for the sake of show of performance.
He urged the Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to immediately stop the FBR from conducting raids at markets and business premises and attaching of business accounts that are pushing the tax payers to the wall besides denting the reputation of the government.
