Halt FBR\'s purchase of 1,010 cars

A Senate panel on Wednesday called for cancelling the contract for buying 1,010 new cars for tax officers, but the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) contended that it needs these vehicles to locate non-filers and physical verification of tax returns filed online. The committee decided to write to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the finance minister, and the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) to stop the purchase of 1,010 new cars, said Senator Mandviwalla, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance. The committee took up the issue of the federal government's plan to procure 1,087 vehicles of up to 1,300cc capacity for grade 17 and 18 officers of the FBR at a cost of about Rs5.6 billion. The FBR has placed the first order of 1,010 vehicles of 1,200cc capacity with Honda Atlas, which Senator Faisal Vawda—a committee member—objected to.