FBR Starts Nationwide Crackdown Against Illegal Cigarettes, Sugar, and Fertilizer Bags

The Regional Tax offices of the Federal Board of Revenue, on the directions of the member Inland Revenue Operations, have intensified their nationwide crackdown against illegal, as well as unstamped, cigarette packets, sugar, and fertilizer bags during the weekend. According to the details, the RTO Rawalpindi has sealed Bobby Pan Shop at Murree Road for repeated violations of relevant laws regarding illegal/ counterfeit cigarettes. Similarly, the other RTOs, including Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Peshawar, in a nationwide crackdown, have also sealed and confiscated the counterfeit cigarettes. This is the second major crackdown, which the RTOs conducted on the instructions of member IR operations against illegal cigarettes and other notified sectors that come under track and trace systems. Sources told ProPakistani that senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue are facing significant pressure due to their failure to enforce action against non-duty-paid goods, such as cigarettes and sugar bags. The FBR had implemented the Track and Trace System in five sectors and also established a dedicated Inland Revenue Enforcement Network. The functions of IREN Enforcement units include Sources added that the performance of IREN is not satisfactory due to which member IR operations have asked RTOs to initiate a crackdown against illegal goods. It is pertinent to note that the Track and Trace system, rolled out during FY 2021-22, is gradually being expanded to cover all imports and domestic production of designated sectors. FBR claimed that it brought 20% of imports and domestic production of such sectors under its purview until the last fiscal year 2022-23.