Taking another positive step for the facilitation of business community, the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) has set up a Facilitation Desk of Federal Tax Ombudsman in its premises, which was formally inaugurated by Dr.Asif Mahmood Jah, Federal Tax Ombudsman during a ceremony held at ICCI, Mohammad Shakeel Munir President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jamshed Akhtar Senior Vice President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce, Mrs. Sarwat Tahira Habib Senior Advisor Media , Dr.Arslan Subuctageen Advisor Customs ,Govinda Akmas Legal Advisor, Mohammad Junaid Jalil Khan Collector, Collectorate Customs and Industry and other stakeholders were also present at the occasion. With the establishment of FTO Facilitation Desk, the aggrieved members of ICCI would now be able to lodge complaints on any tax issue against the functionaries administering the federal taxes and get their grievances resolved through this facility. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Dr.Asif Mahmood Jah, Federal Tax Ombudsman said that protecting the interests of taxpayers was the key priority of this organization and FTO is providing relief to taxpayers by carrying out independent investigations about the maladministration by functionaries administering the federal taxes. He said FTO would work with FBR for setting timelines for tax cases to ensure their timely disposal. He said criminal cases should be filed against those tax functionaries who were involved in malpractices and corruption. He said ensuring the self-respect of taxpayers was the responsibility of the state and state should honor this responsibility. He said that SMEs were the backbone of economy and they needed more focus of the government for ease of doing business. He said that a fair, just, efficient and simplified tax system was needed to promote tax culture in the country. He appreciated the efforts of ICCI for providing better facilities to its members by setting up facilitation desks of various organizations that would help in resolving their key issues and promoting business activities. Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said ICCI was striving to provide maximum facilitation to its members in business promotion and the establishment of FTO Facilitation Desk at Chamber was another right step in that direction. He further said that traders and chambers of commerce would appoint a representative in the federal ombudsman so that any grievance would be resolved through them immediately and suggestions would go to the FBR, adding everyone must know that the federal tax ombudsman was people-friendly institutions where tax-related issues were solved on priority.
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