February 11, 2021:Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, chaired the 5th meeting of the FBR Policy Board at FBR HQs today.
Federal Minister for Privatization Mohammad Mian Soomro, Adviser to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to the PM on Institutional Reforms & Austerity Dr. Ishrat Hussain, SAPM on Revenue Dr. Waqar Masood, Chairman FBR, senior members of FBR, and representatives of private-sector participated in the meeting.
FBR made a presentation regarding the establishment of the Tax Policy Unit in accordance with the decision of the Cabinet dated 29 November 2018. Members of the Policy Board gave valuable input highlighting the advantages of keeping tax policy function independent of the administrative function.
After due deliberation, the Chair accorded approval for the establishment of the ‘Tax Policy Unit’ under the administrative control of the Finance Division. A new setup would be created that will include members from FBR and also engage fiscal and economic experts from academia, think tanks, and the private sector to present holistic proposals for mobilizing revenue generation with greater autonomy. Tax Policy Unit would work out policy recommendations for domestic tax collection on the lines of the National Tariff Commission which operates under the Ministry of Commerce.
FBR’s Technical Committee apprised the Policy Board about the measures taken to identify anomalies and simplify the taxation system for a better understanding of the business community. FBR requested to include senior representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Industries & Production for better coordination and effective policymaking in this regard.
Chairman, Complaint Oversight Committee (COC) briefed the Policy Board about the working of a newly developed complaint portal which is currently running on a trial basis. The complaint resolution system is designed to facilitate businessmen, traders, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and large taxpayers. All complaints can be filed at one place. SOPs for complaint resolution and oversight by COC are being finalized and the system would be formally launched soon. The Chair directed to disseminate relevant information about the working of complaint registration mechanism and ensure the contact details are readily available for public consumption.
The Finance Minister further directed FBR to expedite the process of Income Tax refunds of less than Rs.50 million to uphold the commitment of the government to facilitate taxpayers.
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