Prime minister demands nationwide faceless tax collection as officials report a reduction in the estimated tax gap from 6% to 5% of GDP.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to accelerate institutional reforms, order a nationwide rollout of the faceless tax collection system and take indiscriminate action against corruption.
Chairing a high-level review meeting, the prime minister said initial results of the reforms were encouraging, but stressed that the FBR must strengthen its institutional capacity to bridge Pakistan’s tax gap.
He said technology, professional training, transparency and accountability must remain central to the reform process, adding that the agenda served the national interest and would continue without obstruction.
Shehbaz called for zero tolerance for corruption, while allowing officials who demonstrated genuine improvements in conduct and performance an opportunity to reform. He said there should be no place for corruption or underperformance.
According to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office Media Wing, officials briefed the meeting on progress in technology, procedural workflows and human resource management.
The meeting was informed that reforms introduced over the past three years had reduced the estimated tax gap from 6% to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP). Technology had also significantly curtailed the discretionary powers of FBR officials.
Newly recruited officers are receiving specialised professional training at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), alongside ongoing training programmes for serving officials. A Peer Rating System has also been introduced to assess officers’ performance.
Officials further reported that 957 auditors had been recruited on merit as third-party contractors, increasing the FBR’s overall audit capacity fourfold.
Large-scale technological restructuring is also under way, supported by targeted recruitment of technical specialists and a performance-linked incentive framework.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers and senior government officials.