The government Friday promulgated an ordinance, which will enable it to arrest tax evaders, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

President Arif Alvi signed the Tax Laws, Third Amendment Ordinance, 2021 under which both the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) will have the powers to access details of the non-filers.

The ordinance will empower the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to disconnect electricity, gas and telephone connections of those not paying their taxes, while they may also stand deprived of the booking facilities.

Similarly, a fine of Rs3 million may be imposed on a non-filer.

Under the new arrangement, NADRA will provide details of income, expenditures as well as assets of the non-filers.

The Authority will also provide the data of people guilty of not giving complete details of their assets.

Likewise, it is laid down in the ordinance that non-filer ‘professionals’ will have to pay 35 per cent tax under different slabs of electricity bills.

Explaining the point, the ordinance says professionals include lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers and IT experts.

Reporter: Waqas Azeem