BoR, FBR tax slabs to be uniform soon: minister

LAHORE:Provincial Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht has said that tax slabs of Board of Revenue and Federal Board of Revenue would soon come in uniformity and profitable taxation model would be introduced for tax recoveries by the Excise and Taxation Department.

The public would be sensitised about the recovery of taxes to provide basic facilities, including municipal services, to them, he stated. Punjab Revenue Authority would soon promote green taxation culture to provide pollution-free atmosphere to the citizens. The state land alongs the canals would be utilised for resources’ mobilization, said the finance minister while addressing the fifth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Resources Mobilisation here on Tuesday. Provincial ministers Malik Anwer and Hussain Jahania Gerdezi, besides the officers concerned were also present. The BoR would ensure implementation of allotment of state land to the landless peasants, the minister maintained. The finance secretary briefed the meeting about the exact position of taxes recovery and observed that the Covid-19 during the current fiscal year had damaged the provincial economy, due to which, tax recovery witnessed downward trend, whereas taxes in PRA and Excise Department registered upward trend. He was optimist that by the end of fiscal year 2020-21, PRA and ET&NC would achieve its target of tax collection. The Cabinet Committee also reviewed evaluation task of property taxes and its exemption proposed by ET&NC. The proposals of Irrigation Department were deferred till the next meeting. The finance minister directed the Provincial Finance Department to submit the recommendation approved by the Cabinet. The minister also asked ET&NC to introduce planned mechanism of vehicle transfer and registration, besides applicable taxation system on GT Road.

vacant seats in ACE: Additional Chief Secretary Ms Irum Bukhari visited Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), said a statement issued from the office of ACE here on Tuesday. ACE DG Muhammad Gohar Nafees briefed her on gains made during a short span of time including billions of rupees land retrievals, trap raids, special campaign against illegal petrol pumps, cases of petty and mega corruption and recent report on commercial shops owned by the government across the province.

Briefing Ms Bukhari, who is also administrative secretary of Anti-Corruption Establishment, Punjab, the ACE DG said there were approximately 58 thousand government commercial shops whose rent if collected on current market rate would be around Rs 10 billion per annum.