MULTAN: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) should take relentless action against M/s Maersk Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd and Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT) for recovering alleged billions of rupees evaded in wake of sales taxes.
It was stated by former Chairman Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association Mian Mahmood Ahmad while talking to Customs Today regarding mega sales tax evasion by shipping companies with connivance of Sindh Revenue Board.
He said that government is imposing heavy taxes on every segment of society including cotton ginners in the country to bring national economy on right track but we have given free hand to tax collection department to practice corruption in tax collection. We need to bring reforms in tax system as government is facing financial crisis in the country due to current account deficit and tax department faces huge shortfall in tax collection due to widespread corrupt practices of Sindh Revenue Board.
He expressed that M/s Maersk shipping company and Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT) involved in mega sales tax evasion and Sindh Revenue Board has shut their eyes on the mega sales tax evasion. Government priorities are not in right direction because they gave free hand to Sindh Revenue Board which resulted in huge sales tax evasion.
He told that tax evasion of Maersk shipping line and QICT 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 to the SRB.
It is not possible for any businessman or company to evade billions of rupees in wake of sales tax and Sindh Revenue Board corrupt officials gave full assistance to them in said tax evasion.
He said that an organized racket of few corrupt tax officials is also working for them instead of country and these dishonest officials are generating huge kickbacks for offering their services for evading billions of taxes.
He said 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. It is very unfortunate for our society that few greedy officials of government department are giving tax evaders free hand.
He told that our tax system needs serious modifications and reforms for the revival of economic system and this is ideal time to bring positive change through strict accountability of corrupt officials of SRB and recover looted amount of taxes from them.
He demanded from Federal Board of Revenue, Ministry of Port and Shipping, National Accountability Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency to take relentless action against Maersk shipping line and QICT for evading billions of sales taxes with connivance of Sindh Revenue Board.
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