FBR Chairman defends purchase of 1,010 vehicles amid Senate objections

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Rashid Mahmood Langrial, reiterated on Sunday the agency’s commitment to purchasing 1,010 vehicles for tax officers, asserting that this decision is crucial for achieving the tax collection target set for the current fiscal year 2024-25.

This announcement follows objections raised by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue regarding the FBR’s plan to acquire new vehicles, reported the Business Recorder.

Senator Faisal Vawda urged an immediate cessation of the vehicle purchase, claiming that providing vehicles to FBR officers amid substantial tax shortfalls constituted “open corruption.” He accused the FBR of misappropriating government funds during a Senate committee meeting earlier this week.

In defense of the decision, Langrial highlighted the need for new cars to enable tax officers to conduct field visits essential for revenue collection. “We will go ahead with the car purchases. This is a Cabinet decision,” Langrial stated while speaking to the media at the International Customs Day 2025 event in Karachi.

He said the objections raised by the Senate Standing Committee concerned the procurement process rather than the purchase itself. “We will have the procedure reviewed,” he assured.

Langrial highlighted the importance of proper transportation for young officers, noting that tax collection, particularly sales tax, requires on-site visits. He expressed confidence that the FBR would meet its target of collecting Rs12.9 trillion for the fiscal year.

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However, the organisation has already fallen short by Rs386 billion in the first half of the fiscal year (July-December) against the target of Rs6,009 billion.

Additionally, Langrial also announced that the FBR was in the process of improving the live tracking system for vehicles transporting containers to enhance the security and transparency of the goods transportation system.

This follows a recent report indicating that the government temporarily halted satellite tracking of containers heading to Afghanistan from seaports, opting instead for human surveillance, which raised concerns over potential smuggling.

Langrial clarified that the live tracking system for vehicles and containers continues but is being enhanced. He noted that the director-general would soon announce the new applicants for tracking services and that the updated system is expected to be operational within two to three months. He also emphasized the successful performance of the current partial manual monitoring system.