World Bank assisted program to strengthen tax and facilitation; consultancy invited

Karachi: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has initiated a plan to strengthen skills of Facilitation and Taxpayer Education (FATE) Wing in order to improve communication strategies under the revenue mobilization project by the World Bank, according to official document.
In this connection the consulting firms are being invited by the FBR for consolidating the communication strategy of the revenue body.
The FBR said, “a FATE Wing is a matrix structure that requires frequent and multi-dimensional communication. This communication needs to be improved and information loop is to be completed and maintained”.
The major communication strategy includes:
Internal communication activities such as paper mail, email, newsletters etc need to be reviewed so that transfer of information is effective.
Externally taxpayers facilitation activities need to be identified and their contents developed such as seminars, workshops etc.
The Taxpayer Facilitation Centers need to be operated on uniform standards across the country, for which the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), record documents, reporting mechanism and evaluation-criteria need to be developed.
The capacity building of 10 officers at FBR (HQ), in media management and public relations, creative writing skills, communication planning and strategy needs to be conducted.
Methodologies have been designed that analyze FBR’s internal communication and TARP documentation communication strategy, identify gaps and reasons for weak implementation, strengthen helpline at FBR in infrastructure, processes, capacity and skills, and strengthen TFC/TFD concept with a Pilot Project in Islamabad to determine plan for nation-wide implementation.
According to report, Taxes, duties and levies will be charged as per current existing laws and all data gathered and material developed will be the property of FBR, with intellectual property rights resting with FBR.