ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to take strict action against tax defaulters adding that improving the performance of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is the government’s top priority.
Chairing a meeting in Lahore, Sharif emphasised the need for using advanced technology to improve FBR performance, state media reported on Sunday.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed on the installation and monitoring of video analytics in the sugar industry.
The Prime Minister added that the use of video analytics in the sugar industry would significantly improve revenue collection, eliminate hoarding, and help stabilise prices. He directed strict implementation of the strategy devised for revenue collection.
Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the government’s strong commitment to ensuring the availability of sugar to the public at affordable rates.
He said that the initiatives taken for the digitisation of the FBR will save the national treasury amounting to billions of rupees.
The Prime Minister asked for early completion of the FBR value chain’s full digitisation. He said that tax evaders be brought into the tax net and warned of strict action against non-compliance.
In a bid to reform the tax sector the FBR has launched its Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA) System that would limit interaction between tax collectors and taxpayers. The new system is a key component of the FBR Transformation Plan approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The government of Pakistan recently undertook a series of tax measures, including expanding the tax base and targeting sectors that are not paying taxes.
Earlier this year, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb described the tax reforms as critical to breaking the cycle of external financial reliance.
The tax reforms are also part of the International Monetary Fund’s recommendations, which led to the approval of a fresh $7 billion loan package for the country this year.
