Number of tax payers increases to 500,000

ISLAMABAD—An increase of 500,000 tax payers has been recorded in the country this year as 2.052811 million filed tax returns upto Wednesday December 12 as compared to 1.5 million in the last corresponding year, Member Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Shawar Khurshid Butt said Thursday. Talking to newsmen he said, it is expected that tax payers base would increase further as returns details filed by the corporate sector will come by December 31.
FBR has been transformed into a peoples friendly organisation by ensuring enhanced salaries and allowances of its staff that prompted improvement in their behaviour and efficiency, he said. The main emphasis was on capacity building of middle and lower employees of FBR.Various training programmes are being designed for them to improve their efficiency. Importers have been provided efficient services as their goods are being cleared within hours.Reforms have also been introduced in customs department.Modern collectorates are being established across the country. A Trade Facilitation Centre was also being established at Wagah border to facilitate imports and exports to India.Plan is to offer facilities at Torkhum border. Responding to a question regarding reforms he said targets would be achieved by December 2009 as FBR has already crossed 50 percent targets. Efforts are underway to further broaden the tax base, enhance tax to GDP ratio,etc.
Tax to GDP ratio should be 20 percent and country is presently at 10 percent,he said and added FBR has devised a strategy to enhance tax to GDP ratio up to 0.2 percent per annum,he added.—Online