ISLAMABAD: The Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics has sought a 20-year record of tobacco tax collection, registered factories and pending dues after the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) failed to provide the data earlier sought by the panel.
As per reports, the committee meeting was chaired by Senator Saifullah Abro and attended by Senators Mohammad Talha Mahmood, Dilawar Khan and Hidayatullah Khan also attended the meeting.
Javed Iqbal Tarar, chief sales tax at the FBR, was asked to leave the meeting after failing to submit the required information, which the committee said had affected proceedings.
The panel expressed concern over the lack of data on tax collection from tobacco manufacturers.
It noted that Customs had earlier reported tobacco-related taxes of Rs75 billion, while later discussions suggested that around Rs40 billion remained outstanding.
The committee directed the FBR to submit documentary evidence of the outstanding amount, a complete list of tobacco companies and their brands, details of imported raw material, and revenue and tax collection data for the past 20 years.
It also sought records of all tobacco factories registered during the same period.
Officials told the committee that Pakistan Tobacco Company and Philip Morris Pakistan were among the major tax-paying companies in the sector.
The panel was also informed that the FBR had deployed Rangers to help curb tax evasion in the tobacco sector.
The Press Information Department (PID) briefed the committee on media awareness campaigns carried out for different ministries on behalf of the FBR. It said the campaigns were aired on 92 television channels, with costs paid by the sponsoring ministries.
The convener directed the PID to submit details of all media contracts, campaign expenditures and agreements with television channels. He also noted that the department was operating without a centralised system.
