THE federal government has asked all officials associated with public-sector organisations to submit a declaration of their assets. Have such directives ever been actually implemented? Last year, several Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officers were found guilty of not submitting their income tax declarations. Just imagine, tax collectors not filing their own tax returns. There is nothing more that one can say about what and how much goes on in public-sector entities.

Furthermore, non-compliance with rules and directives is considered misconduct within the meaning of Rule 2(k) of the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020. Further, in the light of Rule 7 of Civil Servants Promotion (BPS-18 to BPS-21) Rules, 2019, a civil servant who has not submitted his/her annual declaration of assets, liabilities forms for five years will be deferred from promotion in the respective promotion boards. If a person is at a ‘lucrative post’, then does that person care about promotion?

Moreover, asset declaration should be compulsory for all government servants from grade 1 to 22. Many lower-level government employees are in possession of assets that are way beyond their means, but since their salaries are lower than the threshold currently set for manadatory declaration, they continue to own huge movable and immovable assets without any fear of accountability.

To make the process transparent, anyone who gets paid from government resources, including even those working on temporary posts, should be made to declare their assets within the shortest possible time. Moreover, failure to submit the relevant form should be made a crime punishable by removal from service. A few days of suspension or withholding in-service promotions have no impact on habitual tax-evaders. In this way, I believe, the government can broaden the tax net.

Ayub Malik
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2024