By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday urged the business community to take steps for the financial inclusion of differently-abled people by providing them jobs according to their skills and talents.
He gave these remarks while talking to a delegation of traders, which led by Haji Tahir Naveed called on him here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. While talking to the members of business community, the president remarked that the government was cognizant of their problems and steps were being taken to provide them a business-friendly environment.
He said that the government had provided a financial stimulus package of over Rs 1.2 trillion to support the business community as well as the poor strata of society.It kept the businesses open during the COVID-19 pandemic to save the economy from adverse impacts of the pandemic, he added.
The president said despite the pandemic, Pakistan’s economy was on the road to recovery and the surge in exports and 24.9% increase in remittances were healthy signs for it. The delegation appreciated the business-friendly policies of the government, particularly its support to the businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Monday urged the taxpayer and traders to use E-Payment facility for convenient and hassle free payment of all FBR taxes and some provincial taxes.
The board in continuation reforms and modernization drive, had introduced the E-Payment facility to facilitate taxpayers, according to an FBR press statement issued here Monday. On the one hand, traders could electronically pay all import duties and taxes through customs computerized system WeBOC at ports and border stations across Pakistan, said an FBR press statement. The taxpayers could also electronically pay income tax, sales tax and Federal Excise duty sitting in their homes.
“E-Payment system provides round the clock facility to taxpayers and traders to make online payment of customs duties and other FBR taxes as well as provincial cess and stamp duty,” the statement added. The facility is available through internet and mobile banking by using more than 15000 ATMs of 16000 Over the Counters (OTC) bank branches of commercial banks spreading across the country.
The taxpayers’ confidence and interest in E-payment was growing fast and it can be gauged from the fact that the proportion of number of E-payments of Income Tax, Sales Tax and Federal Excise Duty has increased from 6.26% of total payments during July to December 2019 to 40.5% during same period of 2020.
Similarly the proportion of amount deposited in these E-payments has increased from 13.55% of total payments to 76.5% during the comparative periods. E-payment facility has greatly helped the traders and other taxpayers’ during the COVID-19 pandemic since all transactions can be completed without physical interaction. Currently 18.6% of import duties and taxes are being collected by Pakistan Customs through E-Payment system. More than 80,000 consignments consisting of nearly 22% of total imports were cleared in WeBOC through E-Payment in the last 6 months.
Apart from major customs stations including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar, the facility is also being availed by importers in remote areas like Taftan and Khunjerab. The board urged the traders and other taxpayers to utilize E-Payment facility as it reduces their cost of doing business and contributes significantly towards improving the ease of doing business.
The facility also expedites the clearance of goods, enhances transparency in the duty payment mechanism and ensures timely revenue reconciliation. Acknowledging E-payment as a major step towards trade facilitation, World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement also promotes the use of electronic payment methods amongst the traders.
