ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: The Central Board of Revenue has abolished all the 12 adjudication collectorates by transferring the adjudication powers to executive collectorates.

The decision was taken through a notification released here on Saturday, which would come into effect retrospectively from August 1, 2005 by rescinding the earlier notification.

According to the notification, the CBR had also withdrawn the facility from the tax department to file an appeal against the decision of a tax collector.

However, taxpayers would have the powers to file an appeal against the decision of a collector in the appeal collectorate. The CBR has also reduced the number of appeals to nine collectorates across the country.

Out of a total of 24,473 adjudication cases and 6071 appeals available for disposal with the collectorates (adjudication and appeals) during the fiscal year 2004-05, 21,601 adjudication cases and 5,155 appeals have been decided by the end of June 2005.

The achievement was more than 200 per cent, both in disposal of adjudication cases and appeals, against the target assigned to the CBR by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for the fiscal year 2004-05.

Total number of pending appeals left with the appeal and adjudication collectorates as of July 1, 2005 reduced to only 916, involving an amount of Rs643 million. This includes 289 customs appeals, 613 sales tax and only 14 appeals relating to central excise duty.