ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has taken notice of rampant ‘corruption’ and appointment of officers with ‘embarrassingly compromised reputations’ at key positions in the Federal Board of Revenue, initiating a process that may eventually cleanse the tainted organisation.
In a strongly-worded letter, the Prime Minister’s Office also directed FBR Chairman Tariq Pasha to submit a detailed report about the ‘integrity’ of all FBR members, officers heading field formations and strategic units of the FBR.
The prime minister has given November 28 as the deadline to the FBR chairman to submit a report about his all top officers, including those who faced inquiries in the past but still serving on lucrative posts.
Former FBR Chairman Tariq Bajwa had initiated a cleansing exercise but after his transfer in November 2015 things became worse.
The chairman is the final authority in the appointment of members of the FBR and heads of all field formations. After assuming office in July this year, Pasha has brought his own team at the headquarters and in the field formations.
The decision to take notice of unethical practices in the tax machinery and official patronage available to corrupt officers suggests that PM Abbasi is in the mood of fulfilling his promise to broaden the tax base –and the first step towards that is to cleanse the organisation of corrupt people.
After becoming the country’s chief executive, Abbasi had announced broadening the tax base as his first priority. Since then, he has held numerous meetings of the FBR, including the one with the Tax Reforms Implementation Committee.
“It has been brought to the knowledge of the PM that no action is being taken against a number of officers in whose cases formal inquiries on equally serious charges have been completed since long,” according to a letter written by Fawad Hasan Fawad, secretary to the PM.
“Fawad has taken a strong position against growing malpractices in the FBR and during a November 2 meeting suggested to set up a board to decide the fate of tainted officers,” said the sources privy to the meeting.
In the same meeting, Special Assistant to PM Dr Miftah Ismail had claimed that 99% audit cases in the FBR are settled through questionable means, they added.
The PM’s letter has particularly sought details about three grade-20 officers — Basharat Ahmad Qureshi, Sharif Ahmad Awan and Mrs Shahar Bano Walajahi, according to the official letter.
“The PM has been further informed that certain officers of the FBR with embarrassingly compromised reputations and general conduct are leading some of the most important establishments of the FBR,” according to the letter.
Neither FBR’s spokesman Dr Mohammad Iqbal nor the FBR chairman responded to the request to give comments on the PM Office’s letter.
Qureshi’s case was of classical nature that highlights protection available to corrupt officers. An inquiry had established that the officer gave illegal tax benefit to the Pak-Arab Fertiliser Limited and the Fatima Fertiliser Limited, according to the FBR report.
But the matter remains pending. In January 2015, he was posted as Commissioner RTO-III Karachi.
The FBR had proven that Sharif Awan ‘held assets beyond means’ but in February he was posted as Commissioner Appeals in RTO Karachi. The FBR had also proven the charge that Shahar Bano Walajahi gave undue favour of Rs429.8 million to a taxpayer by deleting a demand that she herself generated after going through the record.
The premier has asked for the details of all cases of officials, officer of BPS-16 and above belonging to the Pakistan Customs Services, Inland Revenue Services and other cadres of the FBR against whom formal disciplinary proceedings were initiated by the FBR from June 2013 onwards on the charges of corruption, issuance of bogus refunds, criminal connivance with tax evaders, misuse of authority and negligence resulting loss of revenue.
The prime minister also directed to share the findings of the enquiry and the final outcome in each case and the current postings of those officers.
A recent report of the World Bank claimed that Pakistan suffers a loss of Rs3.2 trillion annually due to weak administration and non-compliant taxpayers.
However, the most worrying aspect for the FBR is that the prime minister has also sought report about past performance and general reputation for integrity of all functional members of the FBR, officers heading field formations and officers who are heading strategic units of the FBR.
He has particularly asked about directorate general of the Post Clearance Audit, Customs, directorate general of Transit Trade, Directorate General of both the Intelligence and Investigation of Inland Revenue and Customs wings.
The PM Office’s letter also highlighted that there were cases where charges of ‘corruption and misconduct’ were proven. But either those officers were reinstated after dismissal from service or given only minor penalties.
“To make it worse, these officers have been assigned lucrative posts,” according to the letter.
The PM’s Office has sought details about Abdul Hamid Anjum who is in grade-19. The details have also been sought about three grade-18 officers — Sajid Hussain Arain, Abdul Hamid Abro and Jawahar Ali Shah, and Anser Majeed who is an audit officer.
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