9th Meeting of Regional Tax Advisory Committee was convened under the Chairmanship of Mr. Shahid Anwar Khan, Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, at the Conference Hall of RTO, Rawalpindi on 25th January 2012.
2. It was attended by the President & Vice President of RCC&I, President and other Senior Tax Advisors / Advocates from Rawalpindi/ Islamabad Tax Bar Association (RITBA) and a number of representatives of Trade Bodies/Associations as well as Withholding Agents from Rawalpindi and Mufassil Areas including Jhelum, Tallagang, Attock, Hassanabdal, and Wah. All the Commissioners and Additional Commissioners of RTO Rawalpindi were also present on this occasion.
3. The Committee’s primary aim is to provide a forum where key stakeholders of the Tax System are engaged in a constructive exchange of views, in order to achieve the goal of Revenue mobilization optimally.
4. In the opening remarks, the Chief Commissioner RTO Rawalpindi, Mr. Shahid Anwar Khan said that presently our country is facing several challenges. Economic and financial challenge is at the top of all challenges faced by our nation. It is our collective responsibility to make our country economically sovereign and prosperous. Domestic Revenue Mobilization is the only way out to reduce our dependence on foreign assistance which is perforce, sought to finance the fiscal deficit. With that goal in mind every citizen of the country has to pay due taxes, timely so that the future of our children is secured.
5. The main agenda of the Meeting was to take on board the traders and business communities before launching a vigorous exercise of Broadening of Tax Base as directed by the FBR with an assigned target and encourage Business / Trade community for voluntary compliance.
6. Other agenda items included non-filing of Returns, non-payment of taxes, legal responsibilities of Withholding Agents and delay in disposal of audit cases due to non-compliant attitude on the part of the taxpayers.
7. Mr. Javed Akhtar Bhatti, President , RCC&I, Raja Amir Iqbal, Senior Vice President RCC&I, Rawalpindi, Ch. Iqbal Ahmed, Vice President, RCC&I, Rawalpindi, Shaukat Hayat Baloch, President Rawalpindi / Islamabad Tax Bar Association, Agha Mujeeb Ahmed Khan, President Elect, Mr. Abdul Basit and Hafiz Muhammad Idrees, Sr. Members Rwp/Ibd Tax Bar Association, Mr. Muhammad Hafeez Ahmed, President Anjuman Tajiran, Rawalpindi Cantt,
Sheikh Muhammad Siddique, President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Rwp, Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, President Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Raja Bazar, Rwp. Sheikh Muhammad Javed, President Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Jhelum, Sheikh Aziz Ahmed, President Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Talagang, Ch. Jamshed Akhtar, President Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Hassan Abdal, and Mr. Rashid ur Rahman, President Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Attock, were amongst the eminent participants who appreciated the efforts of the RTO, Rawalpindi, for holding such kind of meetings which bridges the gap between the Taxpayers and Tax Collector as well as which derives the collective wisdom of the stakeholders for carving out solutions to the problems and challenges.
8. In a successful, lively interactive session the Trade & Industry Representatives alongwith the representatives of the Tax counselors contributed their valuable suggestions.
9. The Chief Commissioner, Mr. Shahid Anwar Khan thanked the participants for their input and assured them that their suggestions will be considered in finalization of Recommendations which will be forwarded to the FBR for Policy Making in future. The Trade & Industry Representatives also assured their all out assistance and cooperation to the Inland Revenue Department for bringing in new taxpayers into the Tax Net, which is also a long standing demand of the Trade Community alongwith all other debated issues.
10. The meeting was concluded with a vote of thanks to the chair.
