“Jail time for £190 million, now FBR will impose jail on vehicles as well,” says Faisal Vawda.

Faisal Vawda Challenges FBR’s 1,010 Vehicle Purchase in the Senate
In the Senate, Senator Faisal Vawda brought up the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) purchase of 1,010 automobiles for field officers as a call-attention notice. Citing suspected flaws and a lack of openness, he vehemently opposed the purchase.

In his Senate speech, Vawda emphasized that the FBR had fallen short of its yearly tax collection goal of Rs. 384 billion, which rendered the acquisition of more cars an irrational move. He also raised concerns about openness by pointing out that there had been no public announcement for this procurement.

He implied that there might be “higher orders” driving this move and said that these cars were being bought to benefit specific officials. Additionally, he pointed out that FBR workers were already getting higher pay and that renting cars might have been a more economical choice if they had been actually needed.

Vawda referred to the procurement process as an example of corruption and asserted that it was created to favor particular businesses. “Those who question such dealings face scrutiny and legal action,” he said. Vehicles were being given to police in grades 16 and up, despite his insistence that they only be assigned to officers in grades 20 and up.

“We were told the cabinet approved these vehicles, just as it approved the £190 million case—which led to jail time,” Vawda said, alluding to previous financial scandals. Will these cars result in jail time as well?

The Reaction of Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar responded by explaining that the cars were meant for field officers in grades 17 and 18 and that they would be outfitted with tracking equipment to guarantee openness.

He clarified that the purpose of the car purchases was to increase sales tax officials’ productivity. He added that, although tax collection organizations throughout the world spend about 5% of their earnings on operating expenses, Pakistan spends less than 1%.

The Prime Minister approved the decision, Tarar said, and it was made within the budget allotted to FBR. He claims that the program’s goals are to enhance field employees’ performance and successfully meet tax-collecting goals.