KARACHI - Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Ahmed Waqar has said that the government is trying to increase the tax to GDP ratio up to 10 per cent in the coming fiscal year. He also showed satisfaction over the revenue collection statistics and said the present level 9.6 per cent of tax to GDP ratio was dismal so the government trying to increase this ratio to 10 per cent in next fiscal. He was addressing the businessmen at the office of FPCCI in city on Saturday. FBR Chairman also assured the business community that he would come again for another meeting to listen their problems on 20th of this month. Earlier, the representatives of the various sectors of the industries-textile, pharmaceuticals, real estate, automobile, steels and LPG raised problems facing by them regarding taxation. Highlighting the initiatives being taken by the present government, FBR Chairman said that at this level he could not unveil the steps would be taken in the annual budget for next FY2009-10 as the budget proposals have already been invited from all the trade bodies of the country to make the budget more business friendly. He informed that we are already in discussion with the business community through their representative bodies while business friendly steps will be taken after this consultation process. Moreover, FBR Chairman said that a plan was under consideration to integrate some taxes, owing to minimize the contacts between the tax payers and collectors, while a pilot project also to be launched very soon. After this system, the taxpayers will go to one desk at tax office which will reduce their time also, he maintained. He pointed out that healthy business activities are necessary to improve the tax collection. The direct impact of the poor tax collection is absolute cut in the expenditure of developmental projects as debt servicing and revenue expenditures also could be impacted. He made it clear that due to the current geo-political situation of the region, the defense expenditures will be maintained the same. FBR Chairman further said that government is also trying to solve the Afghan Transit Trade issue as the smuggling materials are severely hurting the business of the country. Earlier, the representatives of various trade associations raised the issues relating to FBR and warned that various industries have been closed. Sultan Chawla President FPCCI, S M Muneer former president FPCCI, Sheikh Shakil Dhingra Munir Sultan of Association of Builders and Developers, Sardar Rahim of Restaurants Owners Association, Muhammad Qamar Chairman Pakistan Tyre Importers and Dealers Association and others raised the problems facing to them. They demanded that no payment no refund i.e. sales tax free regime should be continued in the five sectors including textile to avoid avenues of corruption. Any penalty for a sale to unregistered buyers will be penalty on sales tax registered person and will open new doors of corruption, they suggested, adding that in the present disturbed economic conditions, thousands of audit notices issued throughout Pakistan brought negative impacts on the free flow of economic activities. Industrialists said the taxation measures/collection should be done judiciously while charging/collecting extra duty through higher valuation of goods will increase the cost of doing business and hurt exports as well. The businessmen in their suggestions said the business friendly relationship between tax collectors and tax payers introduced by the last regime which proved to be very successful should continue. FPCCI in its suggestions said that industrialists apex body for corporate culture and all bank transactions should be accounted for and tax net should be broadened, but this target cannot be achieved over night so this task should be achieved gradually.