ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered immediate legal action against individuals involved in large-scale over-invoicing, directing authorities to tighten enforcement and accountability across Pakistan’s tax and financial monitoring systems.
Chairing a high-level review meeting of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the prime minister expressed strong dissatisfaction over institutional failures to curb over-invoicing between 2017 and 2022. He noted “consistent negligence” by relevant departments, which led to significant revenue losses.
Shehbaz Sharif instructed authorities to identify officials responsible for lapses and expedite departmental proceedings without delay. Emphasizing accountability, he stated that public tax revenue is a national trust and must be safeguarded at all costs.
During the meeting, a report by a special committee headed by Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera was presented. The prime minister appreciated the findings and directed authorities to fully implement the recommendations to strengthen governance and enforcement frameworks.
Officials informed the meeting that the FBR has developed a Centralized Price Verification Portal to detect and prevent over-invoicing in import transactions. The system is expected to be integrated with banking channels by the end of June, enabling real-time verification and improved financial tracking.
The meeting was also told that the FBR’s Post Clearance Audit Wing initially uncovered the over-invoicing scheme in October 2022. So far, authorities have registered 13 First Information Reports (FIRs), and legal proceedings against those involved are ongoing.
The prime minister further directed that the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) be strengthened, with enhanced coordination involving the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Intelligence Bureau to improve inter-agency collaboration.
The meeting was attended by key federal ministers, including Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, and Attaullah Tarar, along with Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani.
