ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman has restructured its Regional Advisory Committees across the country to receive direct input from professionals dealing with taxpayers, businesses, tax disputes and compliance matters on a regular basis.
The move is important because taxpayers and tax practitioners often face recurring problems in tax administration. The new committees are expected to work as consultative forums and help the Federal Tax Ombudsman identify practical difficulties faced by the business and tax community.
According to official notifications issued by the Federal Tax Ombudsman Secretariat, the appointments have been made under Section 18 of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance, 2000.
The committees have been constituted for Balochistan, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh regions.
Federal Tax Ombudsman Zafar Hijazi has inducted professionals from tax, trade, accountancy, legal, business and consultancy fields into these committees.
The members have been appointed on the recommendations of concerned chambers of commerce and industry, tax bar associations, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan, women chambers, legal practice and tax consultancy sectors.
The purpose of these committees is to provide a platform for stakeholder engagement and advice on matters relating to the role and functions of the Federal Tax Ombudsman.
The committees will assist in identifying systemic and recurring issues in tax administration.
They will also highlight practical difficulties faced by taxpayers and tax practitioners.
The committees are also expected to help strengthen institutional responsiveness and improve public confidence in the Federal Tax Ombudsman.
In Balochistan, the committee includes Muhammad Ayub Khan Maryani, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Quetta; Munir Maher, General Secretary of the Balochistan Tax Bar Association; Shahab Qadir, Council Member of ICAP Quetta; and Muhammad Muneeb, CEO of Aaims Consultants and associated with ICMA.
For Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the appointed members include Mian Muhammad Ramzan, Chairman FBR Committee of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Usman Shaukat, President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Faraz Fazal Shaikh, Advocate High Court and member of the Islamabad/Rawalpindi Tax Bar Association; Jehan Zeb Amin, Vice President and Council Member of ICAP; and Samina Fazil, President of the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the committee comprises Sajjad Zaheer, Executive Committee Member of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mushtaq Ahmad, President of the Peshawar Tax Bar Association; Saif Ullah, former President of ICAP; Sheraz Khan, Manager Finance at WSSP Peshawar and associated with ICMA; and Quratulain, President of the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peshawar.
For Punjab, the FTO has appointed Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh, Senior Vice President of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Qamar uz-Zaman, Advocate High Court and member of Lahore Tax Bar Association; Zeeshan Ijaz, Council Member of ICAP Lahore; Zia Ul Mustafa Awan, President of ICMA; and Sahar Malik, former President of Lahore Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In Sindh, the committee includes Abu Bakar Siddique Ahmed Shamsi, member executive committee and chairman of the federal taxation sub committee of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Muhammad Mehmood Bikiya, President of Karachi Tax Bar Association; Ahmed Raza, Vice President of ICAP Karachi; and Shams Mohiuddin Ansari, tax and corporate law consultant associated with ICMA.
The notifications state that meetings of the advisory committees will ordinarily be held twice a year, or whenever convened by the Federal Tax Ombudsman.
Advisor Legal at FTO Headquarters, Almas Ali Jovindah, has been appointed as coordinator for the advisory committees.
The restructuring gives the Federal Tax Ombudsman a direct channel to receive field based feedback from professionals who regularly deal with tax matters.
The committees are expected to help the institution understand issues faced by taxpayers at regional level and suggest practical input for improving service delivery and institutional response.
