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Tag: corruption

  • Member IR Operations receives complaints himself to eradicate corruption

    Member IR Operations receives complaints himself to eradicate corruption

    ISLAMABAD: Member Inland Revenue (Operations) will directly receive complaints against corruption in order to provide secure channel of lodging complaints and in this regard SOP has been devised for handling of complaints.

    The Circular No. 10 of 2021 – Operations issued on Monday, stated that in order to allay the fears of business community and citizen taxpayers, a convenient, and protected mechanism of filing complaints against corruption is being devised whereby all complaints would be received by Member IR Operation himself on an especially dedicated cell phone +92-0345-5555507; the cell phone would be in his own possession, exclusively.

    “The complaints would be opened, acknowledged, and treated as per law in a highly confidential manner.”

    The identity of the complainants would be immediately masked and encoded to safeguard them against any undue consequences.

    The standard operating procedure (SOP) for lodging and handling of complaints against field functionaries is as under:

    i. Complaints would be lodged through text message at cell No.. +92-345-5555507 – on Whatsapp, preferably.

    ii. In Whatsapp text option, the complainant would identify himself by writing his name, address, CNIC the case particular and his cell phone number.

    iii. The complainant would write the name(s) of the official(s) against whom the complaint is directed along with his/their designation, place of posting, and any other particulars, if available.

    iv. The complaint must be supported by some evidence such as audio or video recording, text message exchange with the FBR functionary or any other documents, which could be attached with the text message, or subsequently sent by hard mail. If no such evidence is readily available, and affidavit on a legal paper, clearly spelling out the allegation and the person against whom the allegations are leveled would suffice.

    v. Upon receipt of the complaint, a code number would be allotted to each complainant and his back-end identity data would be hidden beyond the access of field officers. This code number would help a complainant track progress on his complaint and the outcomes on it.

    vi. Depending on the nature of the complaint and the evidence provided, the matter would be taken to logical consequence in the shortest possible time.

    vii. Non-specific, unsupported or generalized complaints may not be processed.

    The FBR said that taxpayers could not lodge complaints of corruption, rent-seeking and unethical conduct against any FBR functionary without any fear of reaction or revenge. However, in order to maintain the integrity of the system and achieve its intended objectives, the complainants would not level generalized allegations, and instead, file solid complaints, duly supported by evidence, and affidavits against the delinquent functionaries so that the malaise of corruption could be eliminated from the revenue functions of the state.

  • FBR gets PM’s nod for action against senior officers

    FBR gets PM’s nod for action against senior officers

    ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Monday said that it has initiated action against two senior officers for involvement in irregularity and corruption after taking approval from the Prime Minister.

    In a statement the tax authority said that it had decided to take action against irregularity, corruption and inefficient elements present in the organization.

    Since July, so far 26 officers and 19 officials have been suspended whereas three employees have been dismissed from service.

    “Besides, permission has also been sought from the Prime Minister to initiate action against two senior officers.”

    Those suspended included employees of Model Customs Collectorate Quetta, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Gwadar, Karachi, Directorate of Transit Trade Peshawar and Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation IR Hyderabad whereas the dismissed employees were posted in Regional Tax Office, Faisalabad.

    FBR is determined to rid the organization of corrupt and inefficient elements. Prompt action will be taken against the officers and officials found involved in irregularity and inefficiency. The image of the organization will be raised and the perception of the taxpayers and people about the organization will be improved so that the taxpayers’ can pay their due taxes in time without any hesitation and suspicion thinking that their paid taxed would be utilized on the progress of the country and welfare of the people.

    An Integrity and Performance Management Unit (IPMU) has been established in FBR to address the complaints of the taxpayers against any employee.

    The complainant can send his complaint through telephone, e-mail and letter which will be scrutinized and investigated by senior officers.

    FBR will continue to put its efforts to raise revenue for the Government and will strive to achieve the objectives of the organization at all costs.

  • SRO to save customs officers in mega gold scam challenged before FBR policy board

    SRO to save customs officers in mega gold scam challenged before FBR policy board

    ISLAMABAD: The Directorate General of Internal Audit (Customs) Lahore has challenged the issuance of SRO 1114(I)/2019 before the Policy Board of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) alleging the issuance of the notification was a bid to save senior customs officers in mega gold corruption cases.

    In a compliant on October 02, 2019 made to Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue and Chairman FBR’s Policy Board and the other members of the FBR’s policy board that is constituted under Section 6 of the FBR Act, 2007, it has been alleged that the SRO has taken away from the Customs Internal Audit its capacity to detect customs officers’ corruption and resulting massive revenue loss.

    The SRO has been called a device to liberate the customs officers’ corruption and revenue losses from the fear of subsequent internal audit’s detection.

    According to the complainant i.e. Directorate General of Internal Audit (Customs) Lahore, the FBR has purported to act under certain provisions of Customs Act and Sales Tax Act which do not give the FBR any power to abolish any field formations.

    It is alleged that these provisions confer on FBR only the power to appoint officers in field formations and to define their powers and functions.

    It has been further alleged that two directorates of Internal Audit had been abolished in breach of FBR’s statutory obligations under FBR Act, 2007.

    According to the complainant, Section 4(1)(d) of FBR Act requires FBR to improve productivity in its field formations. Section 4(1)(g) of FBR Act requires FBR to take appropriate measures including internal controls to combat corruption within its field formations.

    Section 4(1)(j) of FBR Act requires FBR to introduce and maintain a system of accountability of performance, competence and conduct of its employees.

    It has been alleged that abolition of two directorates of internal audit and over burdening of the single directorate of Islamabad with the responsibility of Customs Internal Audit throughout the country is a measure against FBR’s statutory obligation to improve productivity in field formations.

    It is also a measure against the FBR’s statutory obligation to control corruption and to maintain a system of performance accountability of its officers and employees.

    The complainant questioned that why FBR has conceived a unique SRO of its own kind which has the effect of sheltering corruption and revenue losses from the fear of detection.

    It has been alleged in the complaint that the Directorate of Internal Audit Karachi has been abolished to shelter the customs officers posted in Karachi, who are normally responsible for 90 percent of the customs corruption and revenue losses which take place throughout the country in a year.

    It has been further alleged that the Directorate of Internal Audit Lahore has been abolished for more than one reason, all meant to shelter revenue losses from detection and to save corrupt customs officers from accountability.

    It has been alleged in the complaint that the struggle of Directorate of Internal Audit Lahore to recover a revenue loss of Rs60 billion in gold cases and the efforts of the Directorate to take gold cases against customs officers to a logical conclusion have resulted in its abolition just to serve the interests of senior customs officers involved in these cases.

    The gold case made by Internal Audit took a new beginning when in response to a new story published on June 11, 2018, the Federal Tax Ombudsman took suo moto cognizance of these cases involving a revenue loss of Rs60 billion and recommended disciplinary and criminal proceedings against the customs officers responsible for causing the revenue loss.

    The collector of five customs collectorates subsequently filed representations against FTO’s recommendations before the President of Pakistan. However, the Directorate of Internal Audit Lahore had pleaded the gold cases against the customs officers.

    The directorate of internal audit Lahore requested the FBR Policy Board that the operation of SRO may be immediately held in abeyance till determination of its legality and proper evaluation of its pro corruption consequences.

  • Law proposed to end corruption in Pakistan Customs

    Law proposed to end corruption in Pakistan Customs

    KARACHI: The government has decided to take stern action against officials of Pakistan Customs, who are involved in corruption or corrupt practices.

    A new section 156A to the Customs Act, 1969 has been proposed through Finance Bill, 2019 to initiate criminal proceedings against officials involved in accepting bribe or corruption.

    According to EY Ford Rhodes Chartered Accountants Firm said that the Finance Bill 2019 seeks to insert a new Section 156A in the Act whereby the FBR may prescribe rules to initiate criminal proceedings against its officials who willfully and deliberately commits or omits an act which results in personal benefit or undue advantage to the officials or the taxpayer or both.