President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Muhammad Jawed Bilwani has made an urgent call for Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to address ongoing technical problems in the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) IRIS portal, which are severely impacting tax compliance and causing significant challenges for businesses across Pakistan.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Bilwani underscored that a multitude of tax-compliant businesses are unable to submit their sales tax returns due to critical errors in the IRIS system. The portal’s limitation of the Unit of Measurement (UOM) to “Kilograms (Kgs)” has been particularly disruptive for industries that utilize alternative units such as Number of Pieces (Pcs), Litres, or Meters.

‘This kind of technical oversight reflects a shocking lack of understanding of the diverse nature of our industries, including bulk manufacturers, pharmaceutical, and shoe manufacturers,’ Bilwani remarked. “It is technically incompetent and administratively unjustifiable, penalizing businesses without fault.”

Despite the FBR’s acknowledgment of the issue on March 20, no substantial improvement has been observed. “The matter remains unresolved, and businesses face severe consequences simply for attempting to comply with a flawed system,” he noted.

Bilwani expressed disappointment over the indifferent attitude of senior FBR officials, citing a recent visit to the FBR Head Office in Islamabad where he waited over an hour for a meeting with the Member (Sales Tax), who failed to appear. During this visit, Chief Sales Tax Officer, Dr. Ali Adnan Zaidi, confirmed that similar complaints had been received but no action had been taken.

Repeated attempts to engage FBR officials through letters and calls have gone unanswered, highlighting institutional neglect towards the business community’s struggles, Bilwani lamented.

He warned that these ongoing issues are eroding business confidence, discouraging documentation, and worsening the trust deficit between taxpayers and the government. ‘Pakistan’s economy cannot afford such inefficiencies, especially when ease of doing business and restoring trust in institutions should be national priorities,’ he stressed.

Bilwani called for an immediate resolution of the portal glitches, accountability for FBR officials, and stakeholder-informed reforms to prevent future issues. He urged the creation of a responsive mechanism for engagement between FBR and businesses.

‘The future of our economy depends on the government’s ability to listen, respond, and act. We hope the Prime Minister will intervene to ensure this issue is resolved without further delay,’ Bilwani concluded.