MULTAN: NAB and FIA should seize all record of M/s Maersk Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd into their custody for tax evasion of billions of rupees in order to avoid any tampering in the official documents. For the recovery of evaded amount, the NAB must arrest M/s Maersk Pakistan representatives for using delaying tactics in providing of their tax record. Maresk sales tax fraud must be dealt with iron hands to recover the evaded amount in billions.
This was stated by Advocate Sakina Muneer while talking with Customs Today about mega tax evasion scam of M/s Maersk Pakistan the other day. Alleged tax evasion by M/s Maersk Pakistan is a criminal offense and the government should form special audit commission to conduct their forensic audit for recovery of the evaded tax amount.
Mrs. Sakina said that national economy of Pakistan massively rely on the legitimate revenues collected from a variety of executed taxes including sales tax, income tax, customs duty, federal excise duty and other taxes, in order to meet our various fiscal expenditures on defense, education, health, infrastructure, industry, agriculture and safety of general public. Mega tax evasion by M/s Maersk Pakistan has disappointed all sectors of the country and it put a negative impact on the overall economy of the country.
She expressed that developed countries generally receive taxes, direct and indirect, from the majority of people as well as corporations and they are spending this amount on the welfare of masses. In contrast, a developing country like Pakistan is still confronting with many tax compliance difficulties in building a stable economic system due to weak enforcement of tax machinery.
Mrs. Sakina expressed that Customs Today uncovered mega sales tax scam of M/s Maersk Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd with its investigative journalism and after that relevant tax departments have started action against M/s Maersk Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd. During preliminary investigation of mega tax fraud Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) has also confirmed that they will recover evaded sales tax from the company after completion of comprehensive audit as they found an immense discrepancy in their tax record but now they are using delaying tactics for providing their records to the Board.
She said that tax evasion prevails in the country since the existence of taxation system due to weak enforcement of tax laws. The ineffectiveness of current tax system in Pakistan is the basic reason of revenue shortage in Pakistan. Tax collection authorities in Pakistan should be service-oriented in order to eliminate tax evasion and generate handsome revenue for the country.
M/s Maersk Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd committed huge tax fraud of billions of rupees by issuing fake bills to clients without any sales tax numbers, without publishing its own name on the bills and giving its sales tax numbers which needs to set up a special audit committee to probe into the matter for recovering evaded tax amount.
The Sindh Revenue Board has authority and powers to formulate fiscal policy and to take stern action against tax evaders but they failed to fulfil their due responsibilities in case of M/s Maersk Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd. There is really unfortunate situation for revenue to GDP ratio in Pakistan which consistently followed declining trend due to massive tax evasion. If huge amount in billions evaded every year than our economy will collapse due to weak enforcement of tax laws because tax revenue is the chief source of revenue for the national economy and it creates economic crisis in the country.
She demanded of the NAB and the FIA to deal M/s Maersk Pakistan Pvt. Ltd with iron hands for the recovery of billions of rupees sales tax and take their tax records into their custody in order to avoid any tampering in official documents.
