MULTAN - The Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has demanded the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to release income and sales tax refunds/RPO on “first come first serve” basis.

The demand was raised by MCCI President Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan, Senior Vice President Romana Tanvir Sheikh and Vice President Khawaja Muhammad Farooq while talking to a delegation of exporters here at the Chamber on Wednesday.

Delegation informed the MCCI office-bearers that FBR has set its own priorities for releasing refunds/RPO to the exporters. They said that old cases are still pending while new refunds cases have been resolved which has generated unrest amongst the business community.

Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan and Romana Tanvir Sheikh said that discrimination in releasing refunds/RPO is a sheer injustice. They said that in the present scenario when economy needs resources for expansion, squeezing of business would be harmful.

The MCCI office-bearers said the Federal Board of Revenue is hampering growth of the most productive sectors by denying the exporters and manufacturers their right of refund/RPO of Sales Tax and Income Tax.

They said that the delay in release of huge funds that runs into billions has triggered serious liquidity crunch for the exporters and manufacturers that might lead to closure of several industrial units.

They said the authorities concerned should take realistic view of the matter and allow the refunds/RPO of sales tax and Income Tax to exporters and Manufacturers at the earliest, who were facing severe hardships. They said that the process to get refunds/RPO is so lengthy and cumbersome that sometimes takes months for a manufacturer or an exporter to get his own money refunded.

They urged the Prime Minister to take notice of the situation and issue directions to the FBR authorities to expedite stuck-up Sales Tax and Income Tax refund/RPO claims on first come first serve basis.