ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: Sales tax collection remained short of target by 10 per cent during the first half of the fiscal year 2006-07 (July-December) as compared to the corresponding period last year due to narrow base of the levy.

Among the 10 major revenue spinners of the sales tax, which contributed more than 43 per cent of the total levy, increase mainly concentrated in a few items, like POL products, telecom and electricity.

A senior tax official told Dawn on Thursday that this indicated failure of the tax officials to broaden tax base during the last couple of years despite repeated claims of reforms.

The overall import growth is providing a shield to the CBR in achieving an overall revenue target for the period under review over last year. This growth in no way can provide cover to the CBR for its failure to broaden of the tax base, the official added.

Official figures compiled by the CBR showed that the tax officials collected Rs62.9 billion in 10 products during the first half of the current fiscal year as against Rs48.12 billion during the same period last year, indicating an increase of Rs14.78 billion.

The product-wise collection of sales tax showed that the officials collected sales tax to the tune of Rs12.9 billion on POL products during the July-December period of the current fiscal year as against Rs11 billion last year, showing a growth of 15.5 per cent.

In the telecom sector, the collection reached Rs17.1 billion during the period under review, up by 44 per cent as compared to Rs11.8 billion in the corresponding period last year.Sales tax from sugar increased by 35 per cent to Rs6.9 billion during the July-December period of the current fiscal as against Rs5 billion in the previous year.

There was an increase of 22 per cent in ST collection in LPG which stood at Rs1.7 billion as against Rs1.4 billion last year.

The sales tax collection in electricity increased by 77 per cent as it stood at Rs11.2 billion during the period under review as against Rs6.3 billion over the same period last year.

An increase of 12 per cent was witnessed in the services sector as it stood at Rs2.1 billion as against Rs1.9 billion last year.

An amount of Rs2.8 billion was collected from cigarettes during the July-Dec period of the current fiscal year as against Rs2.1 billion over the same period last year.

An amount of Rs1.6 billion was generated from aerated water which is up by 20 per cent as compared to Rs1.4 billion in the corresponding period last year.

An amount was Rs1 billion was collected in iron and steel sector as against Rs0.82 billion over the same period last year, showing a growth of 25 per cent.