ABBOTTABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has set up a camp office in Abbottabad to save the taxpayers of Hazara division from travelling to Peshawar or Islamabad for hearing of their complaints.

Inaugurating the camp office, FTO Secretary Abdul Khaliq Khan said that Federal Tax Ombudsman, Pakistan provides speedy justice to aggrieved taxpayers against the maladministration of tax officials. “FTO also helps Federal Board of Revenue by guiding its officials to perform their duty according to law,” he added.

He said that FTO was a hope of the business community to get justice within 60 days against the decisions or dealings of the tax officials.

Earlier, former commissioners Mohammad Siddique and FTO adviser Sardar Irshad Shaheen briefed the representatives of Haripur and Abbottabad chambers of commerce and industry; trade organisations of Haripur, Mansehra, Havelian and Abbottabad and office-bearers of Hazara Tax Bar Association regarding the activities and ambit of FTO.

Camp office of Federal Tax Ombudsman set up in the district

They said after the establishment of the office, the complaints of taxpayers of Haripur, Hattar, Mansehra, Havelian, Kohistan, Battagram, Torgher and Abbottabad would be heard there and they would not need to travel to Islamabad or Peshawar.

Mr Siddique said that so far 85 per cent complaints, lodged by the taxpayers, were decided in their favour. He asked taxpayers to get maximum relief from the establishment of the office.

On the occasion, the businessmen criticised FBR for what they called squeezing the existing taxpayers instead of bringing all in the tax net. They said that local economy was dominated by Afghans, who were out of the tax net. The local traders couldn’t compete with Afghans as the latter had to pay no tax to the government while the former were burdened with heavy taxes, which reduced their profit margin, they added.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2015

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