ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated the government’s commitment to digitize the taxation system, aiming to curb tax evasion amounting to billions of rupees.
In a meeting on Friday overseeing reforms at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), he instructed authorities to swiftly develop a monitoring dashboard for ongoing digitization efforts.
During the session, Prime Minister Shehbaz directed the FBR to expand the tax base by bringing taxable non-filers into compliance and to eliminate discretionary powers of customs appraisers. He requested the FBR chairman to provide an implementation report within 24 hours.
Updates on FBR’s digitization efforts revealed the identification of 4.5 million taxable individuals previously outside the tax net. In response to government initiatives, over 300,000 individuals filed tax returns within weeks. Additionally, the refunds of 4,000 companies were withheld due to discovered under-invoicing and fraudulent sales tax claims over the past fortnight.
Prime Minister Shehbaz vowed to prosecute both tax evaders and officials facilitating them, while commending timely taxpayers. He announced plans to install state-of-the-art scanners at seaports to enhance transparency and combat corruption.
Shehbaz Sharif called for a comprehensive report on tax evasion levels and preventive measures, pledging to implement international standards in Pakistan’s tax system. He emphasized the involvement of reputable professionals and experts in formulating tax policies.
The prime minister requested a detailed strategy for FBR’s digitization, reforms, and future targets for the next meeting.
Federal ministers, state ministers, government officials, and industry representatives attended the session.
