ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: The first quarter of 2007-08 (July- September) witnessed a 15 per cent increase in direct taxes as compared with the corresponding period of last financial year.

This was stated by the Member (Direct Taxes), CBR, Usman Khalid Mirza, while highlighting the over-all performance of field formations of direct taxes wing at the 15th national tax conference held here on Friday.

Secretary-General, Revenue Division and CBR chairman M Abdullah Yusuf presided over the conference.

Usman Mirza informed the participants that after payment of refunds of Rs4 billion, the total direct taxes collection was Rs77 billion, as compared to Rs66 billion during the same period in last fiscal year, thus registering an increase of 15 per cent. CBR chairman M. Abdullah Yusuf called upon the tax managers to broaden the tax base by bringing all potential taxpayers into tax net and enhancing tax-to-GDP ratio by tapping the huge tax potential existing in various sectors of the economy.

He advised the commissioners to give priority to oil, gas, banks and telecommunications. Special attention is also required to be paid on cement, sugar and other sectors, the chairman stressed.

Mr Abdullah remarked that substantial progress is required to be made for disposal of pending tax cases at the level of tribunal and higher forums.

He directed that all those frivolous tax appeals, which are not sustainable at the higher forums, must be withdrawn. Expressing concern over various pending cases in Karachi and Lahore, the chairman made DGs and RTOs of Karachi and Lahore, along with concerned Commissioners (Appeals) responsible for liquidation of all cases in their areas of jurisdiction in shortest possible time. He also sought report in this regard.

Member (Audit) Abdur Razzaq, Member (TP&R) Habib Fakhruddin, Member (IMS) Aamir Zafar Chaudhry and Member (Admn), Maj-Gen (Retd) Mohammad Yasin and Member (Legal), Mumtaz Ahmed Sheikh, gave an update on various issues while other officials briefed the conference about the performance of their respective offices.