Tax Amnesty scheme not yielding good out-turn in Punjab: Chairman FBR

LAHORE: Ruksana Yasmin, chairperson Federal Board Revenue (FBR), lamented on Monday that tax amnesty scheme is not producing appreciable results in Punjab except Lahore.

She was addressing a ceremony organized in connection with tax amnesty scheme and noted that encouraging response was received only from Karachi and Lahore. Despite extending the date of amnesty scheme, the other big cities of Punjab like Gujranwala, Multan, Sialkot and Faislabad produced disappointing results, she added.

“The sum of whole Punjab’s revenue, in accordance with tax amnesty scheme, is equivalent to Karachi’s,” she remarked.

Chairperson FBR shed light on the number of people who have benefited from tax amnesty scheme so far, “Before June 30, we used to receive four thousand calls on daily basis and 50 to 53 thousand people benefited from the scheme during that time but since then only two thousand haev been added to that list.”

Ruksana Yasmin further recounted that all issues related to the system including State Bank and dollar exchange rate have been resolved, yet outcome is below par.

“Amnesty scheme is a good initiative considering the poor situation of our economy,” she stressed while adding that the deadline of amnesty scheme will not be extended again.

“Those who do not take advantage of tax amnesty scheme till specified period will not be spared,” FBR head warned.