An educated citizen on 23.10.2004 has shown his disappointment on a news item of October 2, 2004 about World Bank’s $ 102m loan for tax administration reform project. He is surprised why should the nation need a loan form WB to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness of revenue department? I have not read this news item myself.
On this news our nation should either laugh on this biggest cruel joke or weep that for bringing in dedication, efficiency, honesty, regularity in work and job duties we need a huge loan from abroad.
Recently out-gone Tax Ombudsman a month back in his interview to Daily Jang high lighting the achievement of his Office told the readers that the establishment of tax ombudsman has left impact on the tax collection machinery and that our institutions were today strengthened (institutions of Tax Ombudsman, CBR etc?). Taking of this huge loan for reforming of CBR in itself speaks voluminous about standard effectiveness the whole ombudsman system has left generally on the standard working of the bureaucracy in the country. CBR and its tax machinery for the last 4 years is under Tax Ombudsman and earlier for about 17 years under Federal Ombudsman. When I say the “whole ombudsman system” it does not restricts or specifically means the Tax Ombudsman Office merely but the whole ombudsman/mohtasib system itself on which this nation has spent lot. An ombudsman system is to “diagnose” the acts of mal administration and after this “diagnosis” to put the derailed system back on the right track. After 4 years of tax ombudsman establishment on lot expense we still need to reform the CBR system now by taking a foreign loan should not just be an ordinary point but a national crisis serious issue for agitating by all namely educated conscientious citizens, parliamentarians, so called human rights organistions, judiciary, columnists.
What standard impact the tax ombudsman system has left on CBR or its machinery? A self explanatory example is an article which recently appeared in Sunday Magazine of the largest Daily of Pakistan. The article says the importers allege that official of Anti Smuggling Organisation of Pakistan Customs is minting money from genuine importers by harassing them in different way (Ref: The News On Sunday 10.10.2004 entitled Smuggling by Ali Raza]. Abid Malik an Overseas Pakistani out of patriotism came from US to Pakistan for investing here. ASO seized 88 bags of imported almonds imported according to law. He went to Addl. Collector and showed documents who sent him to same customs official against whom Abid was making complaint. He then went to Collector who held hearing and order ASO to give back the goods to the company. Abid says it is not the first case with him. Now the point is if the institutions have strengthened and the system has left any standard impact whatsoever no tax official would had then the courage to confiscate the consignment of the above complainant.