PM Shehbaz calls for business-friendly reforms, wider tax net

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to strengthen efforts against tax evasion by leveraging both its workforce and private sector expertise.

Chairing a meeting on FBR reforms, the prime minister stressed the need to create a business-friendly environment and provide maximum facilitation to taxpayers.

He termed regular taxpayers as the backbone of the national economy and urged the swift completion of the Income Tax and Sales Taxpayers’ Directory to honor their contributions.

The prime minister underlined that recognizing compliant taxpayers while taking strict measures against evaders would help broaden the tax base. He directed the FBR to seek professional services for identifying tax-evading individuals and companies and ensuring revenue recovery.

Shehbaz Sharif also called for a nationwide awareness campaign to highlight government measures against tax evasion.

Furthermore, he instructed the FBR to engage top international auditors for third-party reviews of mis-declaration and under-invoicing in customs clearance. Continuous third-party audits, he said, were vital for detecting system loopholes and driving improvements.

During the briefing, the FBR apprised the prime minister of ongoing initiatives to track tax evaders, progress on the Taxpayers’ Directory, and the use of super auditors to enhance revenue collection.

It was informed that work on completing the Taxpayers’ Directory to honor income and sales taxpayers was progressing rapidly and a scientific auditing system had been developed for third-party reviews of mis-declaration and under-invoicing in customs clearance.

The meeting was informed that super auditors had been appointed to thoroughly review customs clearance and the risk management system to utilise its output to improve the risk management system.