FBR suspends six officials for absence from sugar mill monitoring duties

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has initiated disciplinary action and immediately suspended six officials who were found unauthorizedly absent from their assigned monitoring duties at sugar mills, reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy toward misconduct and dereliction of duty.

The officials had been deployed under Section 40B of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 to ensure effective, transparent and uninterrupted monitoring of sugar production, said a news release.

The absence was detected during routine monitoring and verification carried out by the Large Tax Office (LTO) Lahore, responsible for maintaining strict oversight of the attendance, conduct and performance of monitoring teams within its jurisdiction.

In view of the seriousness of the lapse, LTO Lahore has proposed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the concerned officials in accordance with applicable rules and procedures.

Immediate suspension has been ordered to ensure accountability and to prevent any compromise in the monitoring process.

FBR reiterates its unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards of discipline, integrity and professionalism across its field formations.

Any dereliction of duty, misconduct or non-compliance with assigned responsibilities will be dealt with firmly and strictly under the law.

In November, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) deployed special teams to monitor sugar mills across Pakistan to curb tax theft.

The FBR spokesperson said in a statement that field formation teams have been deployed in sugar mills across the country. The statement read that sugar was one of the notified commodities being monitored by the state.