Government granting extension to incumbent FBR chief

ISLAMABAD: At the time of rising political temperature, the government is considering two options either to grant one to two months service extension to the incumbent FBR Chairman Dr Mohammad Irshad or give acting charge to one of senior officers after retirement of the outgoing chairman. 

The FBR chairman will be retiring today (Friday) after reaching the age of superannuation.

“Both the options are open as the government will either grant extension to Dr Irshad or give acting charge to one of the senior officers of the FBR. The government will take decision to this effect today (Friday),” official sources confirmed to The News here on Thursday.

In the case of FBR chairman’s retiring, the government may consider Rehmat Ullah Wazir, an IRS officer, for appointing him as acting FBR chairman who will be retiring from the service in March 2018.

On the other hand, there is another move on the cards again as some bureaucrats are again suggesting the government a separate Revenue secretary and FBR chairman slots. Although such experience had failed in the past when the Finance Ministry granted slot of the Revenue Division secretary to the finance secretary, but the resistance within and outside the FBR forced the government to take this decision back. Now again close confidante might be interested to get slot of the Revenue Division for the time being, but it might prove difficult preposition for the government.

 On the other hand, the FBR is making last ditch efforts to maximise its revenue collection so attaching of accounts and other arm twisting measures, including getting advances were used to jack up the collection. Till last Saturday, the FBR had collected Rs3,180 billion against the desired target of Rs3,521 billion. It is expected that the FBR’s collection will surpass the figure of Rs3400 billion as it will be hovering around Rs3, 400 to Rs3,450 billion.

Beyond Rs3,450 billion, it will be hard for the tax collection machinery to deliver as authorities believe several holidays in the wake of Ramazan and then Eidul Fitr hindered for gaining momentum to maximise revenue collection efforts.