PM Announces Rs. 5 Million Award for FBR Officer for Identifying Sales Tax Fraud

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced a Rs. 5 million award and gave away a commendatory shield to an Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officer Ijaz Hussain who identified a sales tax fraud worth trillions of rupees.  The prime minister, talking to the officer, who called on him at the PM House, appreciated his dutifulness and honesty.  The act of the FBR officer is the outcome of the prime minister’s ongoing drive for FBR reforms and curbing the tax evasion, according to a PM Office press release.  In the meeting, the prime minister said that there was no dearth of dutiful and competent officers but they needed to be acknowledged. Expressing satisfaction over the positive outcomes of FBR reforms, the prime minister called for tightening the noose around the tax-evaders and their facilitators and strictly punishing them.  He instructed the FBR to thoroughly investigate the identified tax fraud and take the perpetrators to the task by engaging a highly capable legal team  In the briefing, it was told that the credentials of an 80 years old lady were used for the sales tax fraud which was pointed out by Ijaz Hussain on March 4, this year. It was told that under the sales tax fraud, Rs. 370 million were also transferred initially which was being recovered as a main culprit has already been arrested.  Prime Minister Shehbaz directed to identify and punish the FBR officers who facilitated this tax fraud. He said the government was striving to widen the tax base and the measures like the FBR reforms and digitization would also help prevent such offences.