Govt may relax CNIC condition for traders: FBR.

Byline: Imran Ali Kundi

ISLAMABAD -- Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Shabbar Zaidi on Friday said the government may relax the condition of CNIC for traders as the implementation of the condition is affecting business activities in the country.

'There are two options to continue implementation of the CNIC condition if we ended it or to find some other solution [to end this disturbance],' said Zaidi while speaking during meeting of National Assembly's Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue.

He further said the implementation of the CNIC condition is affecting business activities. He added the possibilities of tax retrieval will be lessened if the businesses and trade activities remained affected in the country.

Earlier on July 23, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had made it mandatory for all buyers to show their Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) while making purchases over Rs50,000 from a sales tax registered person.

Earlier this month, hundreds of traders staged a demonstration in Islamabad to protest tax reforms introduced by the government, especially the CNIC condition for the sale and purchase of goods.

The protesting traders, belonging to twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and...