KARACHI, April 24: Member sales tax CBR Muhammad Ramzan Bhatti has promised to do away with multiple audit system of sales tax at customs stage.

Speaking at a dinner organized by the Karachi Customs Agents Group (KCAG) here on Wednesday, the member sales tax said parameters would be set to introduce single audit at customs stage for sales tax.

Mr Ramzan said the collection of sales tax at customs stage was rapidly increasing and had become double of the amount collected on account of duties. He urged upon the customs agents to play greater role in collection of sales tax at customs stage.

He also asked the customs agents to check the growing menace of ‘titleless imports’ and said agents should only issue one bill to their clients instead of multiple bills.

The member said the entire sales tax audit was being put on electronic data, and during last nine months sales tax collectorates through audit had detected Rs10 billion evasion.

Referring to complains for delay in payment of sales tax refund, Mr Ramzan said during the first nine months of current fiscal Rs35 billion had been paid to exporters, as against Rs9 billion paid in the same period last year.

The member sales tax said so far the CBR had collected Rs140 billion on account of sales tax, as against Rs28 billion collected in the corresponding period last year. He was optimistic that the target of Rs216 billion for sales tax collection would be achieved.

Earlier, KCAG president Farukh Saleem Shaikh urged the CBR to change the present sales tax system by bringing in necessary changes in the Sales Tax Act, 1996.