ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Monday imposed a condition under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 on transfers and registration of immovable properties.
The FBR DNFBPs Order No. 1 of 2021 impose the condition.
The FBR said that the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 empowered the revenue board to license or register its reporting entities (R0s) namely, Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs), impose conditions on any activities by DNFBPs to prevent the offenses of money laundering, predicate offenses or financing of terrorism through the issuance of Directions or imposing Conditions under the relevant provisions of the AMLA, 2010.
Now, in the exercise of the powers conferred under section 6A of the AMLA, 2010 read with clause 1(iii) of Schedule IV ibid, and to foster the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regime in Pakistan, FBR has imposed the following Condition on all Real Estate Development Authorities, Cooperative Housing Societies, and all other Housing Societies, Schemes, and Firms dealing in the real estate, namely:-
“Condition No. 1 of 2021: No public or private Development Authority shall conduct the business activity with any real estate agent for the transfer or registration of immovable property unless the Real Estate Agent is registered with the Federal Board of Revenue as a Designated Non-Financial Business and Profession (DNFBP).”
The above condition shall be disseminated to all Real Estate Agents registered or dealing with the Development Authorities, Housing Authorities Cooperative Housing Societies and other Housing Schemes dealing in the development of land for residential & commercial purposes, construction, and sale/purchase and/or transfer of ownership rights and also displayed on all relevant places for the information of general public.
The real estate agents may also be informed to obtain Registration Certificates from the concerned Director, DNFBPs once registered as a DNFBP with FBR.
Any volition of this Condition shall attract the penal provisions under the AML Act, 2010 and the AML/CFT Sanctions Rules, 2020. This Condition comes into effect on January 1, 2021, the FBR added.
