LAHORE: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has demanded the federal government to stop Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) from harassing taxpayers and withdrawing all FIRs lodged against genuine manufacturers and exporters.
In this regard, APTMAÂ Chairman Adil Bashir in a press release on Saturday said that exports from Pakistan had registered an impressive uplift over the last few months but the potential of further in exports may be hindered by certain government functionaries.
He alleged that there are glitches in FASTER and WeBOC systems of FBR which the federal law enforcement agency itself has repeatedly publicly admitted.
He regretted that instead of correcting the system and making it more efficient, field formations of FBR were lodging stereotyped FIRs against taxpayers, a move which he said may affect business environment.
The APTMA chairman claimed that the Lahore Large Taxpayers Office (LTO) recently registered FIRs against leading textile exporters in total disregard to the fact that FBR’s computer system had erroneously uploaded input tax adjustment of sales tax twice.
“FBR’s system had uploaded the data twice due to a system error in September 2019 while there was no misdeclaration by taxpayers,” he alleged, adding that this was not a singular incident but systematic error of FBR.
He said that initiating criminal proceedings against major reputed companies without confronting them or issuing show-cause notices is unjustified, adding that naming and shaming all directors of the mills by nominating them in FIRs without even conducting a meaningful inquiry and in the absence of any incriminating evidence was humiliating.
He stressed that in case any agency finds a lapse in the compliance of tax laws, it should serve proper show cause notices and no criminal proceedings should be initiated unless and until the case has undergone scrutiny of an impartial judicial forum.
“APTMA will offer its own services to FBR in conducting inquiries against tax evaders,” he said.
He hoped that federal government would take stock of the situation and issue necessary directions to FBR for immediate withdrawal of FIRs in the larger interest of the business environment in the country and fostering of exports.
