Govt clearing tax refunds of business community: Hafeez Shaikh.

ISLAMABAD -- Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said Friday that the government was actively resolving the liquidity related issues of business community by clearing all outstanding tax refunds on fast-track basis.

The government was also taking progressive measures for further ease of doing business and improving business environment, particularly for the small and medium enterprises, he said while talking to the office bearers and members of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).

The FPCCI members held a detailed on-video interaction with the Adviser and his team at the Finance Division and apprised them of their issues besides presenting various proposals and recommendations for consideration in the upcoming federal budget.

Chairperson Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Ms Nausheen Javaid Amjad, Secretary Finance Naveed Kamran Baloch, FPCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar, former federation president Zakaria Usman and several other office-bearers and members of FPCCI also took part in the discussion.

Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said that the government had already issued sales tax refunds to exporters to the tune of Rs 56 billion through the Faster system while Rs 40 billion refunds had also been issued out of Faster and Rs 3 billion additional refunds were to be paid by the end of current month.

He said the government was open to considering any genuine and realistic proposals, including the establishment of industrial...