The federal cabinet has approved the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) plan to acquire 77 additional vehicles, bringing the total number of newly sanctioned cars to 1,100 for Grade 17 and 18 officers.
The move, estimated to cost over Rs6 billion, has been cleared by the Economic Coordination Committee, the Ministry of Finance’s Austerity Committee, and the Cabinet Division’s Vehicle Authorization Committee.
Despite these approvals, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance raised objections, writing to the FBR and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on January 13 to suspend the procurement. The purchase has sparked debate over its timing, given ongoing financial constraints.
On Sunday, FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial defended the decision to purchase 1,010 vehicles for tax officers, emphasising their necessity for achieving the Rs 12.9 trillion tax collection target set for FY25.
His statement came in response to objections raised by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, where Senator Faisal Vawda had criticised the move, terming it “open corruption” and a misuse of government funds especially after the ongoing tax shortfall.
“Young officers need proper transportation for field visits to collect sales tax,” Langrial stated, maintaining that the vehicles would be vital for effective tax collection operations.
