ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed satisfaction over the rise in tax collection due to reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Chairing a weekly review meeting on FBR reforms, the PM said that the improvement in the tax-to-GDP ratio is encouraging. He pledged full support to the reform efforts and said both the federal government and he personally back the steps being taken.
During the briefing, FBR officials informed the Prime Minister that the tax collection target for July-the first month of the new fiscal year-had been successfully achieved. They also expressed confidence in meeting the full-year targets. The PM was told that digital enforcement stations for customs clearance are being set up on a priority basis across the country.
PM Shehbaz stressed the need to remove bureaucratic hurdles and institutional resistance to ensure permanent implementation of reforms. He directed that the customs reforms be applied uniformly and effectively nationwide. He added that the use of technology must reduce delays in customs processing and improve operational efficiency.
The Prime Minister emphasized that federal and provincial governments must collaborate closely to sustain the benefits of these reforms. He said that better enforcement of existing taxes in the upcoming fiscal year will be key to increasing revenue. He also directed FBR and other stakeholders to jointly develop a strategy to maintain the upward tax-to-GDP trend.
To raise public awareness about the ongoing reforms, PM Shehbaz instructed FBR and customs to work with the Ministry of Information. He reaffirmed that there will be no change in the approved timelines for FBR’s reform targets and tax collection goals. Federal ministers, including those from Finance, Law, Petroleum, and Information, as well as the Attorney General and FBR Chairman, attended the meeting.
