Meeting reviews Asaan Tax Scheme application

Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani met trade and industry representatives at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday, according to The Express Tribune. The session covered the recently launched Asaan Tax Scheme and its mobile app, with participants drawn from trade bodies in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur. Kayani said the scheme was designed in response to requests from traders themselves, with the aim of easing tax procedures and widening the tax base.

Registration is meant to be simple, and the form is available in Urdu for retailers to submit online. Under the scheme, enrolled retailers would pay a flat 1% levy on declared annual turnover, deducted through utility bills and fully adjustable. A green plate issued by the FBR would reduce routine visits from tax officials, and enrolled traders would generally be spared audits, point of sale machine requirements and withholding duties.

To address business grievances, senior FBR officials will spend one week each month in Karachi to settle complaints on the spot, as directed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The scheme was launched in August and will continue on a regular basis. Trade bodies and the KCCI praised the minister's ongoing outreach and thanked the prime minister for steps aimed at the business sector's difficulties.