KARACHI, July 18: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has withdrawn the condition of furnishing computerised national identity card (CNIC) number or national tax number (NTN) of unregistered person in case a sales tax registered person makes taxable or dutiable supplies to an unregistered person.

In this regard, a SRO 880(I)/2012 dated July 17, 2012 has been issued by the FBR rescinding an earlier SRO 821(I)/2011 dated September 6, 2011 through which the condition of furnishing CNIC and NTN was imposed.

The issue was strongly contested by the business community for not being practical. The businessmen maintained that the condition only slowed down trade and industry activity and also deprived the national exchequer from much needed revenue.

Vice president FPCCI Shakil Dingrah said that provision of SRO 821(I) 2011 were implemented through SRO191(I)/2012 and were reviewed through SRO 879 of July 2012, which now stands withdrawn by the FBR.

He said that SRO 880(I)/2012 of July 17, 2012 has rescinded the parent or governing SRO 821(I)/2011 of September 6, 2011, thereby withdraw the conditions of furnishing CNIC and NTN.