KARACHI (September 08 2009): The process of issuing sales tax and income tax registration certificates has completely been halted for months as the e-support wing, a sole responsible entity for dispatching both registrations, has failed to entertain applicants. E-support wing of the Federal Board of Revenue is not capable of dealing with both registrations, as the staffers, posted to facilitate applicants, are incompetent.

KARACHI (August 13 2009): Centralisation of sales tax and income tax registrations through e-support wing has created problems as it is impeding the work as the entity dispatching both registrations has failed to entertain applicants even after months.

National Tax Number (NTN), which is supposed to be issued within 48 hours, is not being processed in months because of applications galore across the country at the centralised wing. E-support wing of the Federal Board of Revenue is not capable to absorb such pressures as the staffers, who are supposed to give reasonable answers to applicants' queries have failed to deliver.

"We keep on calling the office but the phone lines are busy and if fortunately it gets connected, the staffers start bamboozling through unjustifiable answers," said some applicants. They said that in the past, local collectorates were processing the applications within days through Pral counters but after promulgation of combined form, the registration numbers are being issued after long delay from Islamabad through centralised system.