FBR chariman Abdullah Yusuf fired; Ahmad Waqar new chief

[Naveed Yaseen]

SOHAIL SARFRAZ
ISLAMABAD (July 24 2008): The government has removed M Abdullah Yusuf from the slot of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman while on visit to Geneva and Russia, and has appointed Ahmad Waqar, currently Secretary, Investment Division, as new FBR Chairman with immediate effect.

Sources told Business Recorder that the government has terminated the contract of Yusuf in a dramatic way when he was in Russian Federation for carrying out negotiations on matters relating to customs. According to a notification issued on Wednesday, Ahmad Waqar has been given Additional Charge of Secretary, Revenue Division. He has worked on key positions like Secretary, Privatisation Commission, Secretary, Petroleum and Secretary, Finance.

Sources said that the previous government had granted three years extension up to 2011, to Yusuf in March 2008. The news of Yusuf's termination has created uncertain situation among FBR Members hired from private sector. The news about the termination of contract of former FBR Chairman was hot topic in FBR House early in the morning on Wednesday when FBR Members, particularly those from private sector, gathered on Third Floor of FBR Headquarters building to verify the news.

Later, it was confirmed when the FBR House received a fax from the Establishment Division pertaining to the notification of new chairman's appointment. Yusuf was trying his level best to extend the contracts of FBR Members Tax Policy and Reforms and Member Fiscal Research and Statistics, who were from the private sector. Following rejection of the summary for extension in contracts of these two members by the Prime Minister, the FBR had moved another summary to the PM that these members are technical as well as indispensable and their contracts should be further extended.

Now, it not clear what would be the fate of these members. When this scribe contacted different businessmen, they said that some of the important achievements of former FBR Chairman included achievement of target of over Rs 1.04 trillion in 2007-08; implementation of broad-based reforms within the tax machinery; universal self-assessment regimes; paperless customs clearances and e-filing systems and frequent interaction with the business trade and bodies for creating a friendly business environment. The former FBR chairman, being a chartered accountant/financial management consultant, had also worked in public sector units in the petroleum sector.

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