ISLAMABAD: Legislators hailing from two major opposition parties, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), came hard on both the Federal Board of Revenue and the Finance Ministry on different administrative and operational matters.
During the course of discussion on the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Bill, 2016, lawmakers from the opposition parties strongly criticized the FBR and relevant departments of the Finance Ministry for non-effectiveness in tracing out tax evasion as well as Benami transactions.
In response to the observations from the officials of the Finance Ministry about the possible positive outcome of the bill, MQM member Rashid Godil observed that the FBR could not serve notices on 400 people named in Panama Papers Leaks for allegedly owning offshore companies. How will the FBR attain power and authority for taking action against culprits involved in Benami transactions, he questioned.
He further said that neither the Finance Ministry nor the Finance Minister ever paid any heed towards the meeting minutes and recommendations of the committee, therefore, the committee should take due measure to assert its authority to bind officials of the ministry to respond the committee well in time.
PTI member Assad Umar observed that he sought details about the people who had made investments in Dubai some four and half months ago from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), but failed to get any response so far. Moreover, no action has been taken against people named in Panama Papers leaks so far by any quarter, either the FBR, FMU or SBP, he observed.
He further said that he had placed a number of issues before the committee regarding inefficiency of the officials of both the Finance Ministry and FBR, but committee secretariat had not brought those items on the agenda of the any meeting of the committee so far. It is a grave injustice towards the committee members as well as breach of privilege of the member’ he observed.
