December 14, 2006	Thursday	Ziqa'ad 22, 1427

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LAHORE, Dec 13: The reforms process in the Central Board Revenue will continue till 2009 and the establishment of two large taxpayers units (LTUs) and six medium taxpayers (MTUs) is a part of this reforms agenda.

“The third LTU will start functioning at Islamabad during the current fiscal year,” CBR chairman Abdullah Yousaf said at a ceremony organised by the Lahore LTU at the Royal Palm Country Club on Wednesday.

The CBR chairman said 13 regional tax offices (RTOs) were being established to facilitate the assessees in the payment of income and sales taxes besides central excise duty.

The Customs Administrative Reforms (CARE) system, at present in vogue at Karachi as a pilot project, would soon be expanded across the country.

The CBR, he said, was taking all out measures to expand the tax base to help country’s economy grow in a rapid manner.

“At present, the total number of tax payers in the country is 1.5 million. We have a lowest GDP-Tax ratio even in our region. But there is a lot of potential to broaden the tax base. The public and private sectors have to join hands to help minimise problems like poverty and unemployment,” he said and added the CBR was working to overcome the problem of tax evasion and bogus claims.

The CBR chairman said there was great potential for growth in the dairy sector. However, zero rating steps had not resulted in the decrease in prices of dairy products.

The benchmarking study for different industrial sectors, especially the cement sector, had been very useful.

Earlier, LTU director-general Omer Farooq in his welcome speech highlighted the achievements of the unit.

Chief Editor of daily The Nation, Arif Nizami, Beaconhouse School System chairperson Nasreen Kasuri, Avari Hotels general manager Qasim Jaffery and Kohinoor Maple Leaf Group chairman Tariq Sayeed Saigol also spoke on the occasion.