CT Newsroom
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial confirmed the purchase of over 1,000 new vehicles for its officers, despite strong objections raised by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance.
Reportedly, on Sunday, while talking to the reporters at a ceremony to mark the International Customs Day FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial in Karachi, confirmed the purchase of over 1,000 new vehicles for its officers.
Langrial highlighted the significance of the 2025 International Customs Day theme, “Customs delivering on its commitment to efficiency, security, and prosperity,” emphasizing its relevance for Pakistan Customs in its efforts to evolve into a modern, forward-thinking, and dynamic institution
Langrial emphasized that “the new vehicles were necessary for new officers for their field trips, “The FBR officers need the vehicles for tax collection. As per the cabinet decision, 1,010 vehicles will be purchased for tax officers”.
“These are young officers, how will they collect sales tax if they do not have proper transport? Sales tax cannot be collected unless you visit the site. The purchase will help achieve the tax collection target set for the fiscal year 2024-25,” he added.
Recently, the Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance raised concerns last week about the purchase of 1,010 vehicles valued at Rs6 billion and directed the FBR to suspend the procurement process. Committee member Faisal Vawda emphasized that the FBR should prioritize addressing the Rs386 billion revenue shortfall before proceeding with such expenditures.
Responding to a question about the standing committee’s objections, the FBR chairman explained, “We will review this procedure and the objections will be answered appropriately and positively.”
He also informed the reporters that the live tracking system is being improved, “The new tracking system will be implemented within two to three months under which tracking sensors will be installed on both vehicles and containers,”
“The FBR has received the bids. The DG [director general concerned] is likely to announce the names of new applicants this week,” he further added.
The FBR chairman stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had established a task force to address challenges in the housing sector. He identified high transaction taxes as the sector’s primary issue, noting that efforts were underway to review the matter. Additionally, he suggested that the Competition Commission of Pakistan should investigate concerns regarding cement prices.
Speaking as the chief guest at the ceremony held at the Customs House, Langrial highlighted the notable progress Pakistan Customs has made in modernizing its operations, particularly through initiatives like the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and the Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA) System.
He said that the trade bodies of Karachi were happy with of introduction of the PSW and FCA systems, which had made the trade process faster, transparent and easier. He added that those systems had resulted in a significant increase in revenues and enabled the clearance of export goods in a short time.