KARACHI: In a meeting with Standing Committee of National Assembly on Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatization on Friday, the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) Karachi officials pointed out that the authority is facing serious human resource deficit.

Sources told Custom news that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) wing IRS Karachi has taken up the human resource deficit issue with the Qaiser Ahmad Sheikh, Chairman of National Assembly on Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatization, informing him that the authority is facing human resource deficit which can be filled by induction of 567 new officers at the all IRS’s regional offices Karachi.

Sources said that the IRS representatives informed the parliamentarians that there is a gap between sanctioned and working human resource at FBR’s wing as 1272 officers are sanctioned to IRS Karachi, but only 705 are working that makes the gap up to 567 human resource deficit.

According to the details, provided by sources to this scribe, IRS Karachi needs 4 more officers of grade 20 cadre as currently IRS have 23 grade 20 working officers while 27 officers are sanctioned thus the IRS is required 4 more grade 20 officers.

Similarly, 19 more additional commissioners of grade 19 are required at IRS as currently 41 add commissioners are working while total 60 additional commissioners are sanctioned to IRS. Gap in human resource category of Deputy Commissioners have reached up to 37 as requirement of grade 18 deputy commissioners in IRS is 37 because currently only 68 deputy commissioners are available amongst the number of 105 sanctioned grade 18 officers.

Likewise, there is 36 more assistant commissioners are required to cover the official matters of IRS as currently only 180 assistant commissioners are working while total 77 assistant commissioners are sanctioned to IRS by FBR.
Sales Tax Auditors (STAs) of grade 16/17 human resource deficit is stood at 239 which is huge gap between sanctioned and working officers as among 419 of sanctioned STAs there are only 180 are available.

Last but not least , in the category of grade 16 officers, there are 567 new inspectors are required at IRS to fulfill the rising demand of human workforce as currently 352 inspectors are working at IRS while 584 are sanctioned to this unit.

IRS Karachi officials also pointed several issues that are hampering the tax recovery growth at Karachi inland revenue as they took up the matter with Chairman Standing Committee including non territorial based presence in Karachi impedes broadening of tax base drive, huge pendency in courts, weak prosecution, inadequate training of the support staff, blockade of fresh induction of staff over the years, lack of interface between the tax department and various agencies and over reliance on corporate taxation.