June 15, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 18, 1427

ISLAMABAD, June 14: Revenue Division Secretary General M. Abdullah Yousuf said on Wednesday the Central Board of Revenue was facing the irritant of under-invoicing, causing losses to the national kitty and traders.

Speaking to senior officials of the CBR, Mr Yousuf said this was one of the remaining issues which needed to be resolved. He went on to say that traders had also approached the CBR for early solution of this menace.

The CBR chief expressed his resolve to transform the CBR into an organisation of international standard, with efficient and transparent tax machinery to provide quality service to all stakeholders, particularly the taxpayers.

He said the automated and reformed CBR would play a more constructive role in economic uplift of the country and prosperity of its people in the years to come.

Referring to the ongoing reforms programme, the secretary general said due to the steps taken by the CBR in the recent past, the perception about the revenue body has been changed. “Businessmen now say that they are now heard by the board authorities and their genuine problems are being sorted out effectively,” he added.

Expressing the need for facilitation and education of taxpayers, the CBR chairman said: “We have to evolve an effective communication strategy to highlight the salient features of our reforms process, especially universal self-assessment scheme introduced by the CBR across all major taxes — income tax, sales tax, customs and federal excise.”

The people in general and potential taxpayers in particular must be fully informed by the CBR measures, he said, hoping that the taxpayers would positively respond to CBR's initiatives and become contributor to national development.