LTO Islamabad Forms Regional Integrity Committee

ISLAMABAD: The Large Taxpayers’ Office (LTO) Islamabad has established a Regional Integrity Committee (RIC) to address corruption allegations. The committee includes tax officials and representatives from both the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi Tax Bar Association.

According to an official directive issued by the LTO Islamabad on Thursday, Reema Masud, Commissioner Inland Revenue at LTO Islamabad, will preside over the RIC. Nasir M Quershi, the president of ICCI, will serve as the vice chairman. Other members of the RIC are Babar Bilal, an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan; Qurratul ain Ali Khan, an additional commissioner of Inland Revenue; Shah Bahar, an additional commissioner from Headquarters; and Nadaruz Zaman Barlas, who will act as the member/secretary of the committee.

The RIC will function as the primary point of contact for integrity-related matters within the LTO Islamabad and FBR. It will manage all complaints from taxpayers and the public concerning the conduct of officers and officials within the LTO Islamabad.

The committee is required to submit its findings to the chief commissioner of LTO Islamabad, who will then coordinate with the Chief of the Integrity Management Cell (IMC) and the Integrity Performance Management Unit (IPMU) through a designated member of IR Operations.

The RIC will also be tasked with identifying the underlying factors contributing to integrity issues within the LTO, Islamabad. It will provide recommendations through the appropriate channels to the FBR to resolve these issues.

The RIC is mandated to adhere to all relevant Terms of Reference (TORs) established by the Board to ensure the fair and transparent handling of complaints.

The committee is expected to resolve complaints within 30 days. This period may be extended by another 30 days by the In-Charge of the Integrity Management Cell at the FBR, following a formal request through the correct channels.

The RIC, LTO, Islamabad, is required to submit a monthly performance report using the provided format (Annex-I). This report should detail the total number of complaints received, the number of pending cases, and the number of complaints resolved during the month. The report must be submitted to the IMC, FBR, with notification to the Chief Commissioner-IR, LTO, Islamabad, by the 15th of each month. The notification confirms that the Chief Commissioner-IR of the Large Taxpayers’ Office, Islamabad, has approved these measures.