April 18, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1429

KARACHI, April 17: Tax rates will not be raised as new government believes in providing relief to taxpayers through facilitation.

The revenue will, however, be boosted through tax reforms aimed at automation and through more effective administration of the tax regime.

This was stated by Sindh Minister of Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla while talking to Dawn in his office on Thursday.

He said that his ministry, which contributes Rs9.5 billion to the total Sindh revenue of Rs27 billion, would introduce tax reforms to curb tax-evasion.

He said that the ministry has joined hands with the Income Tax department to exchange data of professionals to check evasion. Presently, about 250,000 people pay professional tax.

It hopes to raise its revenue through professional tax considerably by bringing more professionals under the net.

Mukesh pointed out that he had directed the excise staff to check smuggling of liquor from Balochistan where the rate of excise duty is low compared to Sindh, which attracts smuggling. This would plug revenue leakages.

The minister further stated that the ministry would expedite automation of tax system to establish a centralised system of tax collection on the pattern of the Federal Board of Revenue.

Four schemes of automation approved at a cost of Rsa156 million are in tendering stage.

He further said that a centralised tax collection system would eliminate direct contacts between taxpayers and the taxation officers.

The ministry has also decided to rotate staff manning the tax counters and post them in various tax departments to increase their exposure and broaden their experience.

A vigorous training programme would be started to train excise and taxation officers (ETOs) in modern methods of tax assessment and collection.

Excise and taxation Secretary Naseer Jamali and director- general Asif Marghoob Siddiqui were also present at the meeting.