Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah Thursday assured the business community that the FTO will take immediate cognizance of complaints regarding undue harassment of traders transporting legally acquired and tax-paid goods by the tax officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
During the question-answer session after the inauguration of the newly established Regional FTO office in Hyderabad, the FTO assured members of the business community of full support in addressing and resolving their genuine complaints within the minimum possible time.
He promised that FTO will take immediate cognizance of complaints regarding undue harassment of traders transporting legally acquired and tax-paid goods by the tax officials.
He urged the taxpayers to use the facility of lodging complaints under section 33 of the FTO Ordinance for immediate redressal of their grievances which bypasses the longer route of lodging written formal complaints. The FTO also spoke to the media and apprised them of the steps being taken by the FTO office for the resolution of the issues faced by the aggrieved complainants.
He was accompanied by the FTO Advisors based in Karachi. The officers of IRS and Customs posted in Hyderabad were also present on the occasion. The regional FTO office in Hyderabad has been set up on the demand of the taxpayers of the region to resolve their grievances against maladministration by tax officials.
Subsequently, the FTO addressed a well-attended gathering of members/representatives of trade bodies including local tax bars in the office of the Hyderabad Chamber Of Commerce & Industry. He assured the business community that the FTO office will increase its efforts to resolve the issues faced by the taxpayers at their doorstep and the creation of a new regional office was a manifestation of this resolve.
