FBR’s challenges toughen as officials test COVID-19 positive

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is facing a daunting task to achieve the current fiscal year’s revenue collection target, revised at least thrice, as its officials are falling ill after having tested positive to coronavirus, sources said.

The sources said at least 23 officials at Regional Tax Office (RTO) Quetta tested positive for coronavirus. The FBR is already facing shortfall in revenue collection due to outbreak of coronavirus. Now the field force of the FBR is also exposed to the pandemic, the sources added.

The FBR was assigned a revised downward target of Rs3.9 trillion for the current fiscal year after the outbreak of coronavirus. The pre-COVID-19 revenue collection estimate was Rs4.8 trillion. The actual FBR’s collection target for the current fiscal year was set at Rs5.6 trillion, which was first reduced to Rs5.2 trillion.

The sources said the RTO was sealed on identification last week and after disinfection the office was reopened on Tuesday with limited staff. The FBR decided to undertake coronavirus test of all the employees working in the RTO.

The sources said the cases reported at RTO Quetta were local transmission.

The FBR restricted the RTO to work with only five percent work strength.

The FBR issued a circular on March 20 and directed all its offices for cutting down the number of employees by at least 50 percent. Further, employees above 50 years of age should be allowed to work from their home except those whose presence is unavoidable for smooth functioning of the official business.

The offices were advised to allow female staff (mothers of children) to work from their home.

The FBR said staff suffering from flu, fever or carrying medical history of frequent chest infection, asthma, cardiac related problems or any other major disease should be allowed to work from their home. “Moreover, infrared thermal thermometers shall be handed over to the reception staff to monitor everyone who enters office premises.”

“In order to avoid physical contact with door handles/knobs, all office doors be kept open and room windows be kept open also to ensure ventilation,” it said.

Earlier in another circular in February 27, the FBR made it mandatory for all staff to use face masks and sanitizers during working hours.

However, the precautionary measures have not been followed by the tax offices. The sources said tax employees are not using face masks and sanitizers due to lack of funds.

In such an environment, the tax offices in Karachi are exposed to the virus. The sources said a tax office in Karachi was disinfected a day earlier on suspicions of coronavirus. Further, the tax office would also test the staff for COVID-19, the sources added.