PM orders fixing responsibility for wheat import

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered for complete transparent investigation into the wheat import scandal, directing to fix responsibility.

Cabinet Division Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal, head of team investigating the wheat import scandal, called on the prime minister and discussed the matter with him.

He also informed the premier about the hindrances in the investigation.

Shehbaz directed the cabinet secretary to work out recommendations with available record and documents and submit the final report till Monday.

During the meeting, the prime minister directed that responsibility be fixed and he should be informed thereof. “We will put everything before the nation,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Division secretary has denied that the team investigating wheat import has summoned former caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar or former caretaker Punjab chief minister and incumbent Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. He said that there was no truth in the reports regarding their summoning. He said he was working within his authority and rumours were being spread about the probe.

Meanwhile, chairing a meeting in Lahore, the prime minister said the federal government is going to procure 1.8 million metric tons of wheat through the Pakistan Agricultural and Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) to ease economic problems of farmers.

The prime minister took a serious notice of reports of difficulties being faced by farmers in securing gunny bags and maintained that there would be no compromise on economic protection of growers. He directed the officials concerned to personally oversee wheat procurement opportunities, the PM media wing in a statement said.

The premier also formed a national food security committee to ensure farmers’ facilitation regarding wheat procurement and address their concerns. This committee would take measures within four days to safeguard farmers’ interests.

Shehbaz directed officials concerned to monitor the procurement of wheat. “There is a bumper wheat crop and there will be no compromise on economic protection of growers’ community,” he said, adding that farmers would get timely payment of their hard work.

The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Attaullah Tarrar and other relevant officials, where detailed discussions were held regarding wheat procurement strategies.

Later, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leadership, under the chair of party supremo Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, also held a meeting on the wheat purchase issue and discussed relief the provincial government could give to the farmers.

Party sources said Nawaz Sharif was determined to compensate the farmers at all costs and categorically stated that he was standing behind the farmers and whosoever was found involved in the scandal would be punished.

Meanwhile, addressing a ceremony to award shields to hardworking and efficient officers of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) here, the prime minister said the country had the potential to collect revenues of over Rs24 trillion against the annual tax target of Rs9.4 trillion.

He said that an amount of around three-time of the annual revenue target was ‘’going down the drain’’ due to corruption, inefficiency and negligence. This huge amount, he said could be utilised to pay debts, construct hospitals, schools, universities and roads in the country.

He said that time had come to separate white from the black and to take decisions of reward and punishment purely on merit as no nation could develop without strictly following the discipline criteria for the government officials.

The prime minister pointed out that Pakistan was facing multiple challenges, including low tax to GDP ratio and external and internal debts that were increasing every passing day. As regards the amount worth Rs2.7 trillion held up across various appellate forums, including commissioners’ appeals, Appellant Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) and courts, he said now the law had been made to recover such amounts. He said that under the new law, the ATIR members, equivalent to the high court judges, would be appointed through an open competition and their tests and interviews would be conducted through reputable institutions such as LUMS, IBA, etc. The members would also get high perks and privileges equivalent to senior judges.

Pointing to another Rs756 billion sales tax scam recently uncovered by the FBR, the prime minister said that he had directed the authorities concerned to make every possible effort to recover the looted money.

Earlier, the prime minister gave away shields to FBR officers and said that he was feeling proud that the country had plenty of such honest officers who could play their due role in development and prosperity of the country. He said all politicians, bureaucrats and heads of the organisations should work together for the development of the country. The only aim of this ceremony was to encourage the country’s heroes, who worked hard with honesty to meet the tax targets.

“This factor would multiply in future and the officers would be fully acknowledged only on the basis of their honesty, efficiency, hard work and sincerity towards the nation,” he added.

As regards the track and trace system, the prime minister emphasised that it was one of the major frauds in the country’s history. He said that he always tried to be fair in governance and reiterated his commitment to put the country on the path of prosperity and development. “We, with our constant and unwavering determination, will leave India far behind.”

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb said that revenue collection played a vital role in socio-economic development, adding that it was major source to run the government business. He said that policies were formed for broadening tax base in the country, adding that now it was time to execute these polices with full efficiency, transparency and honesty to turn around the national economy on fast track of economic development and growth.

The minister, while stressing the need for strengthening tax collection and promoting tax culture, said that there were about three million commercial and industrial electricity and gas connections and only 200,000 of them were paying their sales tax.

FBR Chairman Amjad Zubair Tiwana thanked the prime minister for acknowledging the hard work of Board’s officers. He said the prime minister was taking a keen interest in boosting the tax revenues and had held several meetings in this regard.