Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials to get 4.9 million rich and influential individuals into the tax net and don’t put additional burdens on the poor.
A statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday stated that PM Sharif presided over a four-hour review meeting with an emphasis on digitization and FBR reforms. Briefings on the development of Customs and Inland Revenue changes during the last eight weeks were presented throughout the session.
“The digitisation effort of the FBR is being overseen by renowned global consultants McKinsey, and the initial results are promising,” a representative for the FBR stated.
“An Rs800 billion tax refund fraud was detected in the last four months,” Prime Minister Sharif announced, highlighting a noteworthy accomplishment. We’re going to keep enhancing the tax refund system,” he declared. Additionally, he voiced worry and called the delays in numerous FBR reform programs “extremely regrettable.”
83,579 tax-related cases totaling Rs3.2 trillion are pending in various courts and tribunals, according to the FBR report. “Since the current government’s tenure, multiple steps have been taken to resolve tax circumstances, with 63 cases worth Rs44 billion solved in the last four months,” the spokesperson continued.
Owing to technological advancements, 4.9 million people who are able to pay taxes have been discovered. The prime minister gave FBR staff instructions to prioritize taxing the privileged and wealthy among them while excluding the impoverished.
The trader-friendly mobile application for the FBR, which has enrolled 150,000 shops since April 1, 2024, was also discussed at the conference. To improve the efficacy of this approach, PM Sharif called for ongoing discussions with retailers.
With the goal of having 100 tribunals, the premier gave the order to expand the number of appeal tribunals in order to speed up the decision of tax cases. In addition, he mandated that these tribunals have a performance dashboard.
PM Sharif emphasized that sales tax refunds should be paid immediately and demanded the creation of an expedient plan to recoup any unlawful refunds that had already been given. “The Fraud Detection and Investigation Department of the FBR must be completely digitised,” he said.
In addition, he oversaw the unification of all active FBR reform initiatives into a single system and promoted the use of cutting edge equipment and knowledgeable workers in the digitization initiatives.
The FBR authorities declared that beginning in October 2024, the Integrated Transit Trade Management System (ITTMS) will be put into place at the borders between Pakistan and Afghanistan, namely at Torkham and Chaman. “International standard one-window facilities will be established,” they stated.
There has also been progress on the creation of the Automated Entry-Exit System (AEES), which is connected to the Pakistan Single Window and Web-Based One Customs using sophisticated scanning technology. The four ports in Karachi as well as the airports in Karachi, Multan, and Peshawar will be the first locations where AEES is installed. PM Sharif has also given the go-ahead for its installation at the Gwadar port.
