ISLAMABAD: The government decided against sending tax defaulter cases to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a bid to stop harassment of taxpayers by the agency and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The decision was taken in first meeting of the FBR Policy Board, which met under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Asad Umar. The board was set up under the FBR Act of 2007, but remained dysfunctional during the tenure of previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and even before.
“After a detailed briefing by the FBR chairman and sharing of views by the members, it was decided that the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice shall be asked to review FBR laws where criminal investigation agencies have an overlapping jurisdiction with the FBR so that the authority of FBR may be ascertained,” according to a statement issued by the finance ministry.