MULTAN: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) must recover alleged billions of rupees evaded by M/s Maersk Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd in wake of sales tax. Said Sales Tax Fraud amount of Denmark’s shipping company Maersk and its subsidiary in Pakistan may be utilized in the sponsorship of blasphemous caricature contest. Importers and exporters should boycott the company to stop them for any anti-Islam attempt in the future.
It was stated by Chairman Quomi Tajir Etihad Sultan Mehmood Malik while talking to Customs Today. He said that the tax department has shut its eyes on tax evasion of 150 companies in the country and they are imposing new taxes on the business community every day to accomplish their revenue targets. Billions of rupees alleged sales tax evasion by Maersk Pakistan is also another example where responsible institutions failed to fulfill their foremost responsibilities.
He said that tax evasion of Maersk and other companies is badly affecting national economy as they are looting billions of rupees from genuine importers and exporters on clearance of shipments but they have not submitted due taxes by issuing ‘benaami’ invoices to clients to take illegal financial benefits.
He said it shows negligence and failure of Sindh Revenue Board that Maersk Pakistan and others are evading billions of sales taxes and revenue but tax authorities failed to attach their movable and immovable properties and freeze their bank accounts. He said that an organized racket of a few corrupt tax officials are also working for them and these dishonest officials are generating huge kickbacks for offering their services to these mega tax evaders. Inefficiency of tax authorities and assistance of unscrupulous elements are causing huge economic crisis in the country and ‘we need to take serious actions against them to guard our revenue’.
Pakistan is requesting International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and other countries to provide financial aid for rescuing our economy but if we take action against tax evaders like M/s Maersk Pakistan Limited (Pvt) and recover looted amount, it will be much better for our economy than to take further loans, he added.
He said that Pakistan cannot progress without the elimination of corruption. It is really unfortunate that a few greedy officials of the government department are giving them free hand for tax evasions. He told that our tax system is very old and reforms in the tax sector are also need of the hour.
Almost 150 big companies of South Punjab were exempted from tax audit due to a complex system of government and if the government wants to enhance tax net then tax reforms are mandatory, he added. He said that delaying tactics in providing tax record to audit department by Maersk Pakistan shows that they are running away from legal action against them.
He appealed to importers and exporters of Pakistan to boycott Denmark’s shipping company to stop them from anti-Islam activities, and NAB & FIA should monitor their every transaction which consumed in the anti-Islamic activities and recover the evaded amount from them.
He demanded from Sindh Revenue Board and Ministry of Ports and Shipping to take strict action against Maersk Pakistan for evading billions of rupees sales tax.
