Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK): (Parliament Times) Under the spirit of ensuring the tax-realization system more active and vibrant with prime focus to expand the tax net in Azad Jammu Kashmir in line with the need of the modern age, AJK government has established ‘Central Board of Revenue’ in the State at the pattern of the ‘Federal Board of Revenue’ (FBR), of Pakistan, official sources said.
This was disclosed by Chairman of the AJK Central Board of Revenue Farhat Ali Mir in his meeting with the Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Mr. Javed Ghani at FBR Secretariat in the federal capital on Friday, an AJK CBR spokesman later told our Special AJK Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao here on Friday.
“The Chairman AJK CBR informed the FBR Chairman that the government of AJK has established the AJK CBR as full-fledged taxation authority for AJK with policy and regulatory functions at the pattern of the FBR at federal level and Revenue Authority in the provincial governments”, said the spokesperson.
The AJK CBR Chief further informed the FBR Chairman that since the AJK CBR had adapted a law of FBR Act 2007 and legislated AJK CBR Act 2020, the AJK CBR stood filled with the due charge at par with the same authority and functions to bring in fiscal policies and regulate taxation functions within the State of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, he added.
“ It will, indeed, ensure setting up taxation target and implement fiscal policies regarding all types taxes of federal and provincial nature”, he underlined and added that the step will ensure generation and upscale the tax revenue regime in AJK.
The AJK CBR Chairman Farhat Ali Mir raised several issues required to be dispensed by the FBR on priority grounds for AJK including signing of Service Level Agreement and early establishment of the proposed Dryport in Mirpur, the main industrial and business hub of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Farhat Mir further informed the Chairman FBR that the AJK State government had already reserved 100 kanals of land at the new Industrial Estate in Mirpur for establishment of the much-needed Dry Port in the area. He sought due urgent step by the FBR to ensure the emergence of the proposed Mirpur Dry port without further delay. He added that the issue of early establishment of the Mirpur Dry Port was being persuaded by the AJK Government since 1993.
The AJK CBR chairman solicited technical support from FBR and backstopping for augmenting of taxation system in AJK by getting into full integration with the FBR.
The AJK CBR chief greeted Chairman FBR for securing remarkable progress realizing the stipulated chunk of federal taxes during last quarter.
He also informed him that AJK CBR also surpassed tax revenue target during last year despite Covid 19 earthquake in Mirpur AJK.
The Chairman FBR lauded the healthy steps by the AJK Government and achievements in successfully securing the stipulated taxes target with surplus chunk including in the first quarter of the ongoing financial year of 2020-21 in a short span of the recent emergence of the AJK CBR.
Javed Ghani assured delivery of all possible technical assistance and cooperation and professional know-how by the FBR to strengthen the working conditions of the AJK CBR including early signing of SLA and establishment of the MirpurDry port.
The Chairman FBR also assured the AJK CBR Chairman that tax payers of AJK will be given level playing as being tax payers of the country, he added.