By Our Reporter
ISLAMABAD, April 25: The Central Board of Revenue witnessed a 53 per cent growth in the collection of customs duty on import of vehicles during the first nine months of current financial year, over the same period last year.
Speaking at a collectors’ conference here on Tuesday, CBR member customs Shahid Rahim Shaikh said a significant growth was seen in duty on import of various items from July 2005 to March 2006.
The duty on import of mineral fuels saw a 77 per cent growth, mineral oils 77 per cent, vehicles 53 per cent, articles of iron/steel 41 per cent, ceramic products 23 per cent, paper/paperboard 30 per cent, iron/steel 22 per cent, and animal or vegetable fats and oils saw a 17 per cent growth.
The net collection of customs duty, he said, was Rs95.1 billion in the first nine months of the financial year 2005-06 against Rs80.1 billion in the corresponding period last year, showing a growth of 19 per cent.
Addressing the conference, CBR Chairman Abdullah Yousuf said the government was committed to bringing changes and reforms in every sector for rapid economic development of the country.
“Being agents of this change it was obligatory upon top revenue collectors to work hard to come up to the expectations of the government. We have to complete all the tasks given to us by the government within a stipulated time,” Mr Yousuf observed.
Referring to various tax reform projects, the chairman said the CBR had enough funds and resources to complete the projects and implement policies and reforms. He informed the participants that all those officers and staff who would work in regional tax offices and model customs collectorates would get double salary.
Mr Yousuf said that out of total 1,150 cases filed in the Supreme Court, 1,000 cases had already been disposed of by special benches of the apex court, while hearing on the remaining 150 cases would begin this week. He called upon the officers to withdraw all those cases which did not have valid basis to sustain.
Source Dawn