July 28, 2021: CODE PAKISTAN in collaboration with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), U.S., organized a one-day meeting for senior officers of the FBR at Serena Hotel in Islamabad to discuss the effective implementation of ADR practices for tax disputes in Pakistan.
The meeting was a follow-up to the trainings and consultative sessions on “Mainstreaming ADR for Equitable Access to Justice in Pakistan” that were conducted with FBR officers across the country over the past few months to raise awareness and build the capacity of tax officers to provide support to citizens in the quick and efficient resolution of tax disputes by using effective methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). A total of 5 trainings and consultative sessions have been conducted in various key cities of Pakistan with senior-level officers of the Pakistan Customs and the Inland Revenue Services (IRS).
These activities culminated in the formulation of a set of recommendations that were developed in consultation with provincial officers from the FBR for the effective implementation of ADR practices for tax disputes in Pakistan. The draft of the recommendations was presented to the senior officers of the FBR during the one-day meeting for their input and for further discussion. The framework document for the recommendations has been evolving since the first of the FBR trainings on ADR. The completed document is intended to assist and enable FBR in the effective implementation of ADR practices in tax disputes in Pakistan.
The Member (Accounting) FBR HQ, Mr. Faheem ul Haq Khan presided over the senior officials’ discussions on the recommendations, which were addressed in detail with active participation from all senior officials in attendance. The recommendations covered a range of issues from legal to administrative proposals needed to enhance the current ADR scheme in Pakistan.
The Vice President of NCSC, Mr. Jeff. A. Apperson also attended the meeting virtually from the U.S. and concluded the session with a few words of appreciation for the participants. Mr. Apperson laid emphasis on the significance of ADR and referred to international best practices to highlight the benefits of ADR as a successful alternative to traditional litigation. He further assured his support and that of NCSC in facilitating the promotion of ADR in Pakistan. Mr. Faheem ul Haq Khan also offered his appreciation to NCSC and CODE PAKISTAN for utilizing their resources for building the capacity of tax officers in Pakistan. Last but not least, the President of CODE PAKISTAN, Mr. Dilawar Khan thanked the attending senior FBR officers for their participation in the meeting and for their support in endeavoring to improve the system for dispute resolution for tax cases in Pakistan.