Govt forms inter-ministerial committee for reform in FBR

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 24 Jan 2024

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker federal cabinet has constituted an inter-ministerial committee for reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

The inter-ministerial committee formed for reforms in FBR will be chaired by the caretaker finance minister.

Ministers of Privatization, Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Energy, Law and Justice and IT will also join the committee while the committee will submit its recommendations on the proposals in the next meeting of the federal cabinet.

The caretaker prime minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar and all cabinet members have endorsed the FBR reform proposals.

The caretaker prime minister said that the caretaker government will complete the reform agenda in FBR.

It should be noted that there is strong resistance to FBR reforms and its digitization process from the top leadership of FBR.

A group of officers belonging to FBR’s Inland Revenue Services and Customs Group appeared before the Election Commission of Pakistan before the Cabinet meeting to strongly oppose the interim government’s approval of the summary on the matter.

Officers opposing the FBR reforms said that they believe the caretaker government does not have the power to make major changes in the FBR.

Earlier, federal cabinet has rejected the plan to collect Rs 600 billion per year from Power Division.

A meeting of the Federal Cabinet was held under the chairmanship of the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq in which the recommendation not to issue and renew identity cards and passports of electricity defaulters was rejected.