Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Amjad Zubair Tiwana on Tuesday, informed the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue that he was seeking early retirement due to personal reasons.
During the session, Tiwana presented the implementation status of the committee’s 96 recommendations for the Federal Budget 2024-25. He reported that 36 recommendations were fully implemented, 14 were partially implemented, and 36 were not shelved.
Specifically, the Finance Bill saw full implementation of 22 recommendations, partial implementation of 5, and 22 recommendations were not implemented.
The committee also addressed concerns regarding the influence of the Prime Minister’s Office on the appointments and removals of FBR officers. It was recommended that in-camera meetings be held to discuss the motives behind these decisions, with the Finance Minister and Chairman FBR in attendance.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb briefed the committee on the current state of Pakistan’s economy, noting signs of improvement and increased investor confidence this financial year. He also discussed ongoing efforts to privatize state-owned enterprises, revealing that more than 40 ministries are under review for right-sizing, with initial work already begun in five ministries.
An implementation plan is being developed to address legal complications and asset management, and a report on these efforts will be provided to the committee in its upcoming session.
