ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is set to face potential crisis as its officers have reportedly sought leaves until June to protest against the increasing inflation and low pay scale.
The move could have serious implications for the country’s economy as the FBR is responsible for collecting taxes and revenue for the government.
According to media reports, 117 FBR officers of Income Tax of grades 17 to 19 have written a letter to the Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Asim Ahmed, highlighting the issue of a low pay scale. The officers stated that due to the skyrocketing inflation, they are unable to meet the expenses of coming to the office.
“The possible absence of FBR officers during the crucial budgeting process could have serious implications for the country’s economy,” the letter read.
The FBR chairman, while responding to media queries, said that he would speak to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the issue of the salary scale of the officers. He further added that the performance allowance of the tax officer has been seized since 2015.
It may be recalled that in March this year, an FBR officer wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, requesting permission to engage in corrupt practices. The officer reportedly stated that either the government should raise his salary or allow him to do corruption. This request was widely criticized and condemned by the public and government officials.
