ISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (APP):Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Monday, directed an acceleration in the pace of reforms within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), noting that the initial results of ongoing reforms were encouraging.
Chairing a high-level review meeting, the prime minister emphasized that the FBR must continuously enhance its institutional capacity to effectively bridge the tax gap.
He further stressed that technology, effective professional training, transparency and accountability must remain central to ensuring that the ongoing reforms yield concrete outcomes.
Directing the swift nationwide rollout of a faceless tax collection mechanism, the prime minister said that FBR officials should enhance their performance keeping in view nation’s expectations.
The meeting was attended by Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb and Attaullah Tarar, alongside Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, and other senior government officials, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
Underscoring that the reform agenda served the broader national interests and would proceed unhindered, the prime minister called for zero-tolerance and indiscriminate action against corrupt elements within the department.
The staff showing genuine improvement in conduct and performance should be given an opportunity to reform while there should be no room for corruption or underperformance, he emphasised.
During the meeting, officials gave a detailed briefing on ongoing interventions across technology, procedural workflows and human resource management.
It was informed that reforms implemented over the past three years had successfully narrowed the estimated tax gap from 6% to 5% of GDP while effective use of technology had substantially reduced inherent powers of FBR officials.
The new FBR inductees were undergoing specialized professional training at LUMS, complemented by continuous in-service training programs for incumbent officers. A Peer Rating System has been officially instituted to rigorously evaluate officers’ performance. To strengthen financial scrutiny, 957 auditors have been recruited, on contract basis, on merit as third-party contractors, resulting in a fourfold increase in the FBR’s overall audit capacity, it was further added.
The meeting was apprised that large-scale technological restructuring is underway, supported by the targeted recruitment of skilled technical talent and the introduction of a performance-linked incentive framework.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
