ISLAMABAD (July 19 2005): The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has given extensive powers to additional collectors to adjudicate all cases from August 1, 2005, saving both time and money of the taxpayers.
Official sources told this scribe on Monday that CBR decision to abolish all collectorates of adjudication, customs, sales tax and central excise and transfer these powers to the regional collectorates would save time of taxpayers.
In this regard, the CBR will issue a notification to empower the Additional Collectors to ensure timely disposal of adjudication cases. The Additional Collectors will be able to settle cases involving unlimited amount, taking away the slab-specific amount under new adjudication system.
Under the new system, the taxpayers would not be required to go to a separate organisation (adjudication collectorate) for settlement of legal matters. Previously, the adjudication authorities used to request the executive collectorate to comment on a case, which was a time consuming process, which resulted in delays.
The additional collectors and deputy collectors of regional collectorates would decide cases in minimum possible time as per new arrangement.
Now, Additional Collectors will be the highest level of adjudication who will work under executive collectors. The offices of adjudication will only look after the appeals.
There is enough evidence that the adjudication collectorates has not been a successful experiment. These offices were unable to facilitate trade and industry through quick disposal of cases. Over 96 percent of the cases had been decided in favour of the department and delaying tactics were used to blackmail the aggrieved taxpayers who came for justice.
