Pakistan: PM's aide on finance quits, FBR gets 6th head in three years
Islamabad: The Pakistan government on Tuesday removed the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), marking yet another reshuffle in the administration.
The special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM) on finance and revenue said he has quit his post.
Informed sources told Dawn News FBR chairman Asim Ahmad, who was fifth in the row in almost three years, was removed after a major cyberattack on taxpayers’ data, which was archived and managed by the FBR for automation, while SAPM Dr Waqar Masood Khan was asked to quit since he was seen as a follower of the ‘status quo’.
A cabinet member informed the newspaper Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin had a heart-to-heart discussion with Dr Khan and told him that as a private sector person Tarin wanted swift action on the tax reforms process and Dr Khan belonged to the old school of thought. Dr Khan graciously agreed and signed off.
The Prime Minister Secretariat is not happy with the performance of FBR’s top management, particularly over slow pace of reforms — digitisation and simplification of tax laws and revenues stuck in litigation for years, the newspaper reported.
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