Govt Moves to Fulfill IMF Condition on Public Disclosure of Civil Servants’ Assets

Islamabad: The federal government has made significant progress toward meeting one of the key conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — making civil servants’ assets public and shareable.

According to *Express News*, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued a **draft amendment to the “Asset Declaration (Sharing) Rules, 2023”**, introducing several important changes, including a **new definition of “public servant.”**

The FBR has also invited feedback from the general public and relevant stakeholders on the proposed amendments. Citizens have been given **seven days from the date of publication in the official gazette** to submit objections or suggestions. All received feedback will be reviewed before final approval.

The draft, issued under **Section 237(1) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001**, has been formally released for public information.

As per the notification, one of the major changes is the replacement of the term **“civil”** with **“public”** throughout the rules. In addition, **Rule 2** has been revised to define a *public servant* as an officer **of Grade 17 or above** serving in the **federal or provincial government, autonomous bodies, corporations, or government-owned companies.**

This definition also includes employees governed under the **Civil Servants Act, 1973**, while excluding those exempted under **Section 5(n)(iv) of the NAB Ordinance, 1999.**

The FBR stated that the purpose of these amendments is to make the rules **more comprehensive, transparent, and aligned with the current administrative framework**, ensuring an effective system for **the exchange and public disclosure of government employees’ asset declarations.**