Hafeez Shaikh accepts textile exporters’ ST refund demand

ISLAMABAD, Oct 29 (APP):Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh Tuesday accepted the demand of textile exporters, allowing them payment of Sales Tax refund, for the month of August and July, through old Expeditious Refund System (ERS) system.

Talking to the delegation of Textile Exporters here, the Advisor said that instead of filing claim Form-H for Sales Tax refunds, the exporters would be facilitated to claim their refunds through old ERS system.

Among others, Advisor to Prime Minister on Textile and Commerce Industry, Abdul Razak Dawood, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Syed Shabbar Zaidi, Head of Textile Task Force, Ahsan Bashir, Finance Secretary, Naveed Kamran Baloch and Special Secretary Finance, Umar Hameed Khan were also present in the meeting.

The participants during the meeting, agreed to improve form-H or bring about a parallel refund system within two weeks to ensure timely payment of sales tax refunds.

On the demand of the delegation, Hafeez Shaikh directed FBR to immediately pay the exporters Rs 2 billion payable Sales Tax refunds for which Refund Payment Orders (RPOs) have already been issued.

He said that the government believed in promoting exports instead of blocking sales tax refunds, adding that all possible measures would be taken to facilitate exporters and resolve their grievances regarding Sales Tax refunds.