ISLAMABAD: Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, on Tuesday directed Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to simplify form-H within a week and expedite payment of sales tax refunds.
He gave the instruction during a meeting with the office-bearers and members of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA).
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms & Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain, Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production Abdul Razak Dawood, Chairman Task Force on Textile Ali Habib, Chairman FBR Syed Shabbar Zaidi, former finance minister Shaukat Tareen and Secretary Finance Naveed Kamran Baloch were also present among others.
Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh told the exporters that the government was not at all interested in keeping their money held up for any length of time and the government was willing to listen to and accommodate any solution or recommendations from the exporters to simplify the H-Form and ensure a prompt payment of sales tax refunds to them.
He also directed the FBR to expedite the payment of nearly Rs 10 billion worth of customs duty drawback to the exporters.
FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi told the meeting that FBR had so far received claims for sales tax refunds to the tune of Rs 10.14 billion pertaining to the period from July to October 2019 and cases amounting to Rs 8.02 billion had already been processed for payment out of which 1604 cases has been accepted for payment which would be made at the earliest.
Earlier, the APTMA leaders and members told the Adviser they were happy and satisfied with the documentation drive of the government and wanted to process their claims for sales tax refunds through the newly-introduced Form-H.
They said they had formulated their recommendations to further simplify the Form-H in view of certain problems being faced by them in filling out the form.
