ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has said that telecom companies have blocked 230,000 Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards of non-filers.
A spokesperson of FBR said on Wednesday that they took the action as per FBR recommendations throughout Pakistan. The spokesperson revealed that telecom companies have blocked 230,000 Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards of non-filers at the FBR’s recommendation.
Of these, 76,636 SIMs have been unblocked following the submission of tax returns. The spokesperson added that the FBR provides the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) with data on 5,000 individuals daily for SIM blockage. In response to a question, he mentioned that SIMs are blocked after complete investigation.
On June 25, the FBR addressed concerns about filers and non-filers following budget for 2024-25. He reassured that student and household women should not worry about their SIMs. Non-filers are those who do not file their tax returns.
Additionally, the spokesperson stated that the FBR would provide a list to the FIA to prevent non-filers from traveling abroad. The federal government has proposed heavy taxes and other measures in the 2024-25 budget to expand tax net.
