ISLAMABAD: The Minister of State for Finance in Pakistan, Bilal Azhar Kayani, has described a new tax scheme for small shopkeepers as the simplest in Pakistan’s 79-year history.
Bilal Azhar Kayani made the remarks at a follow-up awareness meeting on the Small Shopkeepers Scheme, also known as the Retailer Scheme, at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) headquarters in Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by trade representatives in person and online via Zoom.
The scheme, prepared under the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aims to make it easier for small retailers to register and meet their tax obligations.
It includes simplified registration, flexible payment options and a separate framework intended to reduce the compliance burden on small businesses.
FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial said registered shopkeepers would be able to meet their tax liability by paying a 1 percent tax on turnover.
He said the government would provide maximum facilitation to registered traders. Green registration plates, he added, would help protect compliant businesses from unnecessary scrutiny by tax officials.
However, Chairman FBR cautioned that traders who refused to cooperate with the scheme could face legal action.
The meeting also featured a live demonstration of the FBR’s digital system, including a dedicated web portal and mobile applications for Android and iOS devices.
Participants were allowed to ask questions about registration and the calculation of their tax liability.
Trade leaders welcomed the streamlined digital tools, confirming their continuous involvement in the consultative process and expressing full support for the government’s simplified vision presented by Minister Kayani.
The session, organized following the scheme’s official launch last week, brought together top FBR leadership alongside key trade representatives, including Ajmal Baloch (President of the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran) and Muhammad Kashif Chaudhary (President of the Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajiran Pakistan).
