In its annual assessment report, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has revealed that corruption has reached a pathetic stage in Pakistan and even the policy makers and international institutions have now admitted that corruption is the biggest issue all over the world. The governments in various countries are trying their best to overcome this menace and many have controlled it to some extent. The international donor agencies have also started taking stern measures to stop corruption in the usage of development funds and have introduced anti-corruption measures as the basic component in their programs.
Regarding Pakistan, the World Bank and British Department for International Development have committed $1 million grant to the FBR to set up an anti-corruption cell in the board.The voices of concern about rampant corruption in every institution of the country have been raised by various quarters for years. Some political parties even contested general elections on the basis of the anti-corruption slogansbut no government dared even touch this monster. It is not denying the fact that corruption has been institutionalised and the institutions, which were set up to take anti-corruption measures, themselves have now drenched in corrupt practices. Every government department has been ruled by mafias and the honest officers are left with no option, but to find corners throughout their service periodto save their skin.
Now the FBR itself has acknowledged the prevalence of corruption in the country.Some parliamentarians had earlier pointed out Rs500-600 billion worth of annual corruption allegedly prevailing under the nose of the board.
The only way to discourage corrupt practices is the introduction of tough laws as are enforced in various countries. A senior government officer has been sentenced to death for minting billions of dollars through corruptionin China. Unless the Pakistani government comes clean in the national matters, all the anti-corruption measures will stoke the situation rather than bringing any betterment in the system. According to media reports, some of the FBR officers had not even filed their income tax returns this year and it is yet to be seen the utility of the proposedanti-corruption cell in the board.
