CBR achieves 32% growth in tax collection, 23% in returns filing
By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD—The Central Board of Revenue has said that it has achieved 32% growth in Direct taxes collection and 23% in filing of returns in the first four months (July-October) in the current financial year.
This was disclosed at the 13th National Tax Conference held here Thursday under the chairmanship of M. Abdullah Yusuf, Secretary General, Revenue Division & Chairman, Central Board of Revenue.
Briefing the conference on the over all performance of the direct Taxes Wing and its field offices, Member (Direct Taxes) CBR, Salman Nabi stated that the growth achieved in tax collection and filing of returns during the period under reference was unprecedented.
He informed that the total collection of direct taxes from July-October, 2006 was Rs. 78.2 billion as compared to Rs. 59.2 bn in the corresponding period of last year, indicating a growth of 32%.
Similarly the total returns filed were 15,28,057 as comparedto 12,39,315 filed during the same period last year, showing an increase of 23%, he added.
The Conference was further informed that the refunds paymentmade in first quarter of current financial year was Rs.10.0 billion as compared to Rs. 5.2 billion in the same period loss year, showing an increase of 92%.
In his concluding remarks, Secretary General, Revenue Division & Chairman CBR, M. Abdullah Yusuf called upon the tax managers tomake concerted efforts for broadening the tax base and increasing tax-to-GDP ratio.
“We can not afford to keep them at the present level, he said and added, we must equip ourselves with modern technology, techniques and tools to achieve the desired results”. “You must be cleared in your mind about the future ahead. Life is changing, workis changing, therefore we have to respond to the present day demands by changing ourselves and marking eligible to work in a new automated and reformed system”.
The chairman said “we must facilitate the taxpayers and businessmen in a manner that their cost of doing business and cost of compliance is reduced”.
Stressing on the adoption of totally automated system in CBR and its field formations, Mr. Yusuf confidently told the commissioners that they were going to be an internationally sought after commodity if they would really come up what we are planning to do.
Once we have our system and procedures in place, every body sitting under this hall, will have a remarkable role to play, he assured the tax officers.
In this regard, “we also need help and support from the Government as we may have to take hard and difficult decisions in the days to come”.
Expressing pleasure on liquidation of almost all tax appeals at the department level, the Chairman hoped that a similar position will be achieved at the level of tribunals and higher courts shortly.
He informed the participants that he held a meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan yesterday who has very kindly agreed for disposal of remaining about 300 tax appeals, pending in the apex court, shortly.
Member (FATE/P&TR), Habib Fakhruddin gave a presentation on the current status of Policy & Administrative Reforms and strategy evolved to complete the process within stipulated time.
Current status of initiatives including Integrated Tax Management System (ITMS) and Data cleansing for TMS. Out of total $ 149 million allocation of funds for Tax Reforms, the expenditure incurred so far is $ 10.61 million, he informed.
Member (Legal), Mumtaz Ahmed Sheikh, in his presentation, informed the meeting that a strategy was being evolved, in collaboration with Appellate Tribunals, aimed at to dispose off 90% of the remaining 12,000 appeals (all taxes), pending at tribunal level, by June, 2007. He requested the commissioners to identify important revenue cases for early decision. Mr. Sheikh informed that we had total 55,000 appeals of direct taxes side at Commissionerate level in 2003-04, now the number has been reduced to 1320 only which are all fresh.
Member (IMS), Aamir Zafar Chaudhry informed the Conference that customs data is accessible at all level and asked the tax officers to make use of it.
On data entry issue, Chaudhry reminded the participants thatNTN and Registration numbers were necessary to further process the data. “We are providing computer hardware to the field offices wherever it is required”, he said.
During the Conference, Regional Commissioners of Income Tax,Director Generals of LTUs and commissioners briefed the participants on the performance of their regions on revenue collection Vis-à-vis achievement in first four months of current financial year, strategy for achievement of targets in the remaining period of the year, broadening of tax base, reconciliation of data as per MPR vis-a-vis NTN Master Index, sector-wise tax analysis etc.