Traders discuss issues with CCIR

PESHAWAR: Traders have urged federal and provincial governments and Federal Board of Revenue to take concrete measures for ease of doing business and taxpayers’ facilitation.

A delegation of businessmen met with Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue (CCIR) FBR Muhammad Taqi Qureshi at RTO, during which taken up operational matters, mainly relating to pendency of refunds, delays even after RPO issuance, unlawful summoning of taxpayers, sales tax registration – manual verification, POS integration & deployment of FBR officers at shops under 40B, PRAL/ IRIS System Downtime (Operational Impact).

Businessmen also raised concerns on policies related affairs, including Increase in Withholding Tax Threshold – Section 153, transparency and publication of FBR orders, exports to Afghanistan against PKR (System & Refund Policy), pharmaceutical industry – sales tax regime issue, digital invoicing framework – structural issues, high corporate tax burden & impact on industrialisation.

The delegation led by Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Junaid Altaf was consisted on SCCI Senior Vice President Muhammad Nadeem, Vice President Sabir Ahmad Bangash, and others.

Commissioner Corporate RTO Peshawar Ajmal Khan, Commissioner Inland Revenue, RTO Peshawar Dr Syed Farooq Jamil were also present.

Junaid Altaf urged FBR to ensure administrative facilitation and timelines, prevention of harassment of business community on various pretexts, removal of irritants in sales tax registration, phase-wise implementation of POS system, by creating ample awareness about this system and digitisation invoicing framework.

The SCCI chief sought revision of the PKR 75,000 threshold in line with inflation to reduce compliance burden on SMEs as well as policy-level reform to publish adjudication and appellate orders for consistency, transparency, reduction of discretion and education of legitimate businesses and Taxpayers’.

Junaid Altaf stressed rationalisation and gradual reduction of overall tax rates to promote industrialisation, attract foreign and domestic investment, and broaden the tax base.

Later, the Chief Commissioner RTO, Peshawar FBR Muhammad Taqi Qureshi issued directives on the spot for immediate instructions to address operational level issues while the senior official made a commitment to take up matters and difficulties in policies with high officials and authorities.