Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Nisar Ahmed Khan has directed the customs authorities to take action against the officials of the department taking bribe from traders and creating hurdles in transportation of their goods. The directive was issued during a meeting the FBR chief held with a delegation of the Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) in Islamabad, according to a press release issued by the BCCI.
The delegation, led by BCCI President Jamal Tarakai, told Mr Khan that “black sheep” in the customs and other departments stopped merchandise-laden trucks in Chaman and areas connecting Balochistan with Sindh and Punjab to seek bribe. “The vehicles taking merchandise from Balochistan to Sindh and Punjab are forced to stay in Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Mianwali, Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Hub and other areas for weeks and sometime months to force owners of the goods to pay bribe,” it alleged.The FBR chairman talked to the chief collector of customs in Punjab, directing him to take action against officials of his department involved in the corrupt practice. No doubt this is an important step in eliminating deep rooted corruption within the department. But much more effort will need to be put in if the FBR is to assume a semblance of reliability in the long run. So far it has not been responsive to much needed reforms, and its core function of generating revenue remains compromised. But, ironically, it takes more than just the FBR to streamline the revenue machinery. The process begins with much needed political will, and the capacity to transform it into meaningful, quantifiable action. And the present government has not been able to score many points on this front, even though it made a big deal about FBR reforms and expanding the tax base at the time of the last general election campaign. Small steps like checking trader-level bribes and corruption are always welcome. But considering the magnitude of present problems, they are mere cosmetic work in practical terms. With half its tenure still remaining, the government is advised to turn to governmental problems that are begging for its attention, and revenue paralysis will turn into one of its biggest political problems as the next general election draws near. Prices may be low, but the economy is not growing. And continuous borrowing is only worsening the debt trap. Sooner or later, the government will have to stimulate indigenous earning. But neither exports nor taxes are working. How, then, will it plug the gap? It should revamp the tax machinery before it is too late, otherwise it will have only itself to blame when people go to the polls.
pk.shafaqna.com
