The Government had accepted all the demands of traders leaders during negotiations and had sought their commitment on only three issues viz. broadening of tax base, implementation of CNIC condition and installation of POS at certain businesses, but they have not honoured their commitment as yet. He said that market committees were formed in consultation with traders’ leaders to identify new taxpayers and stressed that these committees should fulfil their responsibility in identifying new taxpayers in their respective areas. This was said by Dr. Shams ul Hadi, Chief Commissioner, Regional Tax Office, Islamabad while addressing business community at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI). He visited ICCI along with Ms. Ayesha Farooq Commissioner West Zone and Waheed Khan Commissioner East Zone RTO Islamabad.

Dr. Shams ul Hadi said that business community should cooperate in documentation of economy. He said that documented economy would reduce burden on existing taxpayers and help in accelerating economic growth. He said that sales tax collection was a trust of the government with the business community and they should fulfil this trust by depositing it honestly with the government. He said that government had set an initial tax target of Rs.5.5 trillion and emphasized that business community should cooperate in getting closer to this ambitious target. He said that ICCI should send written issues of taxpayers to RTO Islamabad and assured that he would cooperate in resolving them.

Ms. Ayesha Farooq Commissioner West Zone and Waheed Khan Commissioner East Zone RTO, Islamabad briefed the business community about the commitments of the government with IMF & FATF and urged that business community should fully support the government in its drive for expansion of tax base. Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that the prevailing complicated and cumbersome tax system was a major hurdle in promoting tax culture and stressed that government should develop a simplified and transparent tax system that should facilitate in business promotion instead of creating hurdles. He said that business community wanted to help the government in improving tax revenue, but issuance of tax notices shattered their confidence. He said tax machinery should avoid steps that created harassment in business community and try to collect tax with a friendly approach. Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President ICCI said that government has increased tax on rental income up to 35 percent that should be revised downward. He said that tax department should ensure the self-respect of business community and give incentives to highest taxpayers in order to encourage tax culture.

Mian Akram Farid, Chairman Founder Group said that increasing turnover tax on steel industry from 1.2 percent to 1.5 percent has created problems for this industry and demanded that government should bring it down. He said that tax exemption cases of taxpayers were unnecessarily delayed and urged that these cases should be addressed in time. Zafar Bakhtawari, Mian Shaukat Masud, Naeem Siddiqui, M. Aslam Khokhar, Khalid Chaudhry, Mian Ramzan, Ch. Tahir and others also highlighted various tax related issues and stressed that RTO Islamabad should take measures to address them.