The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has frozen all bank accounts of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) over non-payment of Rs23 billion sales tax.

The FBR’s Inland Revenue department attached the accounts of the gas utility for defaulting on sales tax to the tune of Rs23 billion. Of the total tax dues, a sum of Rs312 million has been recovered so far.

“The default amount of Sales Tax has also been confirmed by the Appellate Commissioner (Appeals),” the FBR said in a statement.

Last month, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had frozen all bank accounts of cash-strapped Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) over a Rs4.50 billion default. However, the national airline’s accounts were restored after a meeting between FBR Chairman Dr Muhammad Ashfaq and PIA CEO Arshad Malik.

PIA had not paid the federal excise duty (FED) that it collected on tickets over the past two years, the tax body had said.