*ISLAMABAD – Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Shabbar Zaidi hassaid that over 150,000 people had benefited from the Amnesty Scheme.*
Giving details on Wednesday, he said that further 25,000 cases of ‘benami’property holders are in the pipeline. “Revenue amounting to Rs70 billionhas been collected through the scheme,” he added.
The FBR chairman said that about 84,000 people benefited from the schemelast year and as a result, the revenue of Rs124 billion was collected.
On May 18, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Shabbar Zaidi had saidthat there was no ambiguity in the tax amnesty scheme which would not bechanged.
Addressing traders at Karachi Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, he said thatrelief can be given on some raw material, which cannot be exempted from tax.
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He said that smuggling is going on other than the Afghan transit tradewhich is a political issue. “I have stopped the officers from freezingaccounts in order to get tax,” he said, adding that he had asked theofficers to receive the tax after serving 24-hour notice.
The FBR chairman said that their own people are responsible for smuggling,which is forbidden by religion. He said that traders will have to jointlywork with the government to save the country.
He said that he had stopped the security agencies from harassing tradersand FBR officers. “The dollar is soaring, while the rupee is devaluing.This matter is not related to me,” he maintained.
