LAHORE: The number of tax returns filers has surged up to 1.4m compared to 1.1m last year as the last date for filing the returns ends today (Monday).

This was stated by Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar while speaking at a news conference at DGPR office on Sunday.

The minister said the government had launched operation against some 3,500 non-filers and collected data of 20,000 more people who had purchased vehicles worth over Rs10m or property worth over Rs20m in a year.

Take a look: Restricting non-filers from buying cars and property isn't sound policy. It's only good optics

“A case has also been detected where a person had purchased property of over Rs1bn and yet did not file tax return,” he stated.

Mr Azhar stressed the people should not transfer money through Hawala and Hundi and added that the government was set to launch crackdown on this menace.

Acknowledging that the current taxation system was cumbersome, Mr Azhar said the PTI government would amend the law to facilitate the tax returns filers by the mid of next year. He said the government would also develop a mobile application offering tax laws in Urdu.

Stating that Prime Minister Imran Khan had been briefed about the reforms in the taxation system and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the minister said harmony would be brought between FBR and provinces. He said the FBR would no more be harassing the traders’ community and instead offer business-friendly environment in the days to come.

Hammad Azhar said the government would launch an online directory of tax returns filers, including the parliamentarians.

Answering a question, he said, the government was not showing leniency in the case of Aleema Khan, sister of PM Imran Khan, and added that there was no pressure from the prime minister.

The state minister said Rs110bn mobile phones were being smuggled out of total Rs190bn cell phone market in Pakistan. He said the government had consulted the big and small traders before giving a policy to block non-duty paid mobile phones, which were not registered before Dec 1.

“The new regime of registration of cell phones will end the problem of cell phone smuggling,” he said and added that it was a $1.5bn market.

Answering a question, he said the government had currently allowed overseas Pakistanis to bring one duty-free cell phone.

“Consultations are on to allow the overseas Pakistanis to either bring two duty-free cell phones or pay minimum duty on the second cell phone,” he said

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2018