FBR urged to release pending refund claims

RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: “The financial problems of exporters are increasing due to inordinate delays in payment of sales tax refunds while the FBR has not honoured its commitments to release the sales tax refunds within 72 hours of filing of refund claims under FASTER System. Pending sales tax refund claims of exporters for July-August 2019 should be released immediately. Those exporters who have already applied for refund and have not received their claims should be allowed to file their claims through Expeditious Refund System (ERS).”

This was stated by Ch Salamat Ali, Central Chairman, Pakistan Hosiery Manufactures & Exporters Association (PHMA), while talking to newsmen. Ch Salamat Ali also sought clarification from the Chairman, Federal Board of Revenue as per tweet of Hafeez Shaikh, “To clear pending sales tax refunds for July-Aug 2019, textile exporters (are) allowed to file their claims through Expeditious Refund System (ERS)”. Billions of rupees of exporters in sales tax refunds have held up with the FBR as a result exporters particularly SMEs have been facing severest financial hardships and are unable to procure materials / inputs for manufacturing goods meant for exports.