RTO Gujranwala Hosts Online Seminar for Small Shopkeepers and Traders

GUJRANWALA (Bureau Report) : The Regional Tax Office (RTO) Gujranwala hosted an online seminar organized by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to create awareness among small shopkeepers and traders about the newly introduced special tax scheme.

The seminar provided a detailed briefing on the scheme’s objectives, key features, benefits, procedures and various modules. Chairman FBR, Member Strategic Transformation, Member IR Operations and the President of the Traders’ Community addressed the participants and highlighted the significance of the scheme.

FBR officials stressed the importance of proper documentation, timely filing of tax returns and compliance with prescribed requirements, while explaining the benefits available to small shopkeepers under the scheme.

Trade representatives participated in the seminar from the RTO Gujranwala office, with representatives of various trade bodies attending from the conference room and bar room. Similar arrangements were made at the RTO’s sub-offices in Kamoke, Wazirabad, Hafizabad and Pindi Bhattian, enabling local traders to participate through dedicated online facilities.

Commissioner IR Ali Adnan, Additional Commissioner (HQs) Riffat Aziz and Additional Commissioner IR Tehseen Sadiq Tarar participated in the virtual session along with representatives of local trade bodies. Assistant Commissioner IR Awais Shafqat hosted other business community representatives in the bar room, where they joined the proceedings through Zoom.

Representatives of the trade bodies welcomed the introduction of the scheme and appreciated the extensive consultative process undertaken before its formulation. They also highlighted its potential benefits for small businesses and the importance of bringing the informal sector into the documented economy.

The seminar concluded with a question-and-answer session, during which FBR officials responded to traders’ queries and clarified various aspects of the scheme.

Brief interviews were also conducted with senior RTO officials and representatives of trade bodies regarding the practical utility and implementation of the scheme.

The successful seminar reflects RTO Gujranwala’s continued commitment to facilitating small shopkeepers and traders, strengthening engagement with the business community and promoting the adoption of the special tax procedure introduced for small businesses.