Mohsin Siddiqui (Chief Reporter)
Inter-Ministerial Committee, spearheaded by the Minister for Finance, convened for a second consecutive day on Thursday to address the restructuring of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), albeit without official minutes from previous meetings. The committee’s aim was to compel the FBR to resubmit the restructuring proposal, despite reservations voiced by the Minister for Law regarding the caretaker government’s authority to enact sweeping legislative changes.
During the initial meeting held on Wednesday, the caretaker Minister for Energy was unable to participate, leading to his attendance at Thursday’s session. He contributed his insights on the FBR restructuring plan, adding to the deliberations. Eventually, it was agreed upon that official minutes of inter-ministerial discussions would be disseminated first, followed by concrete decisions on forwarding recommendations to the federal cabinet regarding this complex issue.
Undeterred by the absence of official minutes, Caretaker Minister for Finance Dr. Shamshad Akhtar assumed the chair for the Inter-Ministerial meeting on Thursday. Despite the lack of official documentation from the last federal cabinet meeting under Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Minister Akhtar convened discussions on the FBR restructuring.
Sources confirmed that prior to chairing the inter-ministerial meeting, the Minister for Finance held discussions with the Prime Minister on Thursday, emphasizing the urgency of resubmitting the FBR restructuring summary to the federal cabinet by January 29, 2024. However, no definitive decision has been reached thus far.
Resistance to drastic legislative changes was voiced by the Minister for Law during the meeting, raising concerns about the implications of such amendments. Additionally, questions were raised regarding the status of FBR employees following the proposed restructuring.
Meanwhile, FBR officers have raised objections to the caretaker government’s involvement in restructuring efforts, urging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to intervene. They argue that such decisions should be deferred to the incoming government post-elections, citing violations of the Election Act by the caretaker administration.
Expectations are high among FBR officers for the ECP to issue directives halting caretaker government interventions in restructuring matters. However, as of now, the commission has yet to issue any formal directives on the matter.
