Karachi, May 23, 2025 — The Medium Taxpayers Office (MTO) Karachi held an important awareness session on Friday for members of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), shedding light on the newly introduced automated tax invoicing system powered by Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL).
Organized at the KATI headquarters in Karachi, the session aimed to equip business owners with technical know-how about digital invoicing, e-filing, and payment systems now central to Pakistan’s evolving tax infrastructure. Spearheading the event was Chief Commissioner MTO Karachi, Aftab Alam, who emphasized the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) vision of modernizing the tax ecosystem through digital transformation.
Aftab Alam highlighted that the integration of PRAL software would drastically improve the efficiency of tax compliance for medium-sized enterprises. “Our mission at MTO Karachi is to foster a culture of ease and transparency. By introducing automation, we aim to minimize human interaction and boost trust in the system,” he stated.
The session was well-attended by KATI leaders, including President Junaid Naqi, Acting Patron-in-Chief Zubair Chhaya, Senior Vice President Ejaz Ahmed Sheikh, Vice President Tariq Hussain, and Standing Committee Chairman Tariq Malik. Also present were representatives from FBR and former presidents of KATI, making it a collaborative platform for dialogue and reform.
KATI President Naqi praised the initiative and expressed concern over the existing gap in trust between tax authorities and businesses. “We appreciate MTO Karachi’s engagement with the industrial community. However, unresolved sales tax refunds and audit-related challenges still hinder smooth operations,” Naqi said. He pledged KATI’s support for continued reform and encouraged mutual accountability.
Zubair Chhaya, KATI’s Acting Patron-in-Chief, criticized the disparity between filers and non-filers, warning that the system currently penalizes compliance. “True tax reforms require fairness. If we remove the filer-non-filer distinction, the tax net could expand significantly,” he said.
Tariq Malik suggested creating a direct liaison between KATI and the MTO to ensure constant feedback and communication. Meanwhile, Ejaz Sheikh underlined the importance of ongoing training programs, especially for smaller enterprises unfamiliar with digital tools.
FBR officials concluded the session with a live demonstration of PRAL’s invoicing features. Participants raised pertinent issues, and MTO Karachi assured that their concerns would be addressed in future policy adjustments.
In his closing note, Aftab Alam announced that MTO Karachi would hold regular outreach sessions at KATI and similar platforms to ensure widespread adoption of digital tax practices across the business community.