ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: Federal Board of Revenue chairman M Abdullah Yousuf in a major reshuffle on Friday transferred nine senior customs officials, just a few days before the formation of new government.

Normally, tax officials are transferred in July or August after the announcement of federal budget as part of a strategy to implement budget proposals for raising maximum revenue.

A senior official at FBR confirmed to Dawn that the budget-making exercise for next fiscal year had already begun and the new collectors would have to take some time to get to the issues after their postings.

This means that the transfers may also affect the budget-making process creating problems for the new government, the official added.

According to the notification, Collector Model Customs Collectorate (MCC), Lahore Ali Salman Abbassi had been transferred and posted as Collector Customs Appeals, Lahore, while Lutfullah Virk had been posted as Collector MCC, Lahore.

Collector MCC Appraisement, Karachi Amir Muhammad Khan Marwat had been transferred and posted as Chief Customs FBR. Mr Marwat had been replaced by Muhammad Ashraf Khan who was collector MCC, Rawalpindi.Project Director Care, Karachi Khawaja Tanveer Ahmad had been transferred and posted as Collector MCC, Karachi. The additional director Muhammad Tahir had been elevated in his own pay and scale and posted as Project Director of Care.

Khalid Mahmood had been transferred and posted as Collector MCC (Exports), Karachi; Mrs Sarwat Tahira Habib as collector in her own pay and scale of MCC, Rawalpindi and Fazal Yazdani had been assigned to look after the charge of Collector, MCC Faisalabad.