ISLAMABAD - As part of its initiative to rope in large public and private sector organisations and companies in its ongoing drive for filing of income tax returns, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has approached the country's cellular sector to facilitate the workforce employed in this sector to become part of the tax system by filing their tax returns.

The FBR's effort to engage more than 50 leading corporations and companies of the country is being spearheaded by Nausheen Javaid Amjad, Member Facilitation and Taxpayers Education (FATE) Wing, who along with her team met with Mobilink's management at the company's head office and briefed them about a keen desire within FBR to facilitate the employees of large companies to file their income tax returns.

Mobilink CEO Aamer Ibrahim, Corporate & Economic Affairs Vice President Ibrar Khan, Chief Corporate & Regulatory Affairs Officer Syed Ali Naseer were also present on the occasion. FATE Wing chief Tehmina Aamer accompanied the FATE member.

During the meeting, Member FATE FBR Nausheen Amjad said that in pursuance of the concept of corporate social responsibility as well as build a more friendly interface with the taxpayers, FBR was trying to reach out to large public and private sector organisations and companies. "We are confident that together with companies such as Mobilink, we can boost the rate of filing as the filing of income tax returns is not only a legal obligation but also a national duty," she said, adding that FBR was willing to provide any facilitation and training to help the Mobilink employees e-file and become part of the tax system.

Mobilink CEO Aamer Ibrahim lauded the FBR's initiative and expressed his company's full support for it. He said that as a thought leader and as one of the leading multinationals of the country, Mobilink was happy to work with FBR to boost the rate of taxation. "We would love to spearhead a positive ethos about the role of taxes in national development and how we can take the country forward," he said.

He also welcomed FBR's offer to help Mobilink employees e-file and instructed his team to work with FBR in the coming days to arrange facilitative sessions for the officers and staff of the company so that the company being one of the largest contributors to revenue generation efforts of FBR could also emerge as a leader with its workforce as filers and enjoying the benefits of filing in terms of reduced taxes on a range of business and bank transactions.