Uncertainty hits FBR as Shabbar proceeds on leave again – Newspaper

ISLAMABAD: With the continued expansion of the revenue deficit against the target for the second year in a row, Pakistan's beloved government Tehreek-i-Insaf for revenue reforms, the president of the Federal Revenue Board (FBR), Shabbar Zaidi, has had an indefinite license for medical reasons.

Zaidi had resumed his position on January 21 after a two-week leave for health reasons. In his absence, the member administration, a BS-22 officer of the Internal Revenue Service, assumed the position of interim president of the FBR.

When contacted by phone, Mr. Zaidi said Dawn who was in Karachi "I am on leave and under medical treatment," he said. In an additional investigation into whether he is on an indefinite leave, the president said he would depend on the advice of the doctor he would receive on Monday.

Sources in the FBR said Dawn that before going on vacation, Mr. Zaidi met with the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Income, Dr. Hafeez Shaikh and senior officials of the finance division, and informed them that a permit would be taken indefinitely.

But Finance Secretary Nadeem Kamran Baloch, who also owns the revenue division's portfolio, said Dawn I didn't know if Mr. Zaidi had gone on vacation for an indefinite period. "I have been told that he is on leave due to his brother's illness," said the secretary.

According to sources, Mr. Zaidi had not been in office in recent days and did not address any problems during the last 10 days after taking office. There is uncertainty within the FBR about whether it will continue and, if not, who will replace it. The FBR has breached the revised revenue collection target for the first half of the current fiscal year by a wide margin of Rs287 billion against the target of Rs2.367 billion despite various measures and two-digit consumer inflation.

The technical team of the International Monetary Fund will begin to review the performance of FBR's revenue collection from next week.

The Finance Advisor, Hafeez Shaikh, had asked the FBR president to send home all the non-performing officers, referring to the low revenue collection and the lack of progress in the reform measures. However, no officer was transferred.

Similarly, Shaikh had asked the FBR chief to share with him a plan on revenue collection and registration of merchants, especially large retailers, with the sales tax department.

The false reimbursement scam is another area where the FBR has not yet taken action against the senior officials involved in it.

Published on Dawn, January 31, 2020