Soon after arrival from Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday chaired a meeting on the performance of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and praised the relevant ministers and officials over Rs34.5 billion recovery.
The prime minister on this occasion also sought a comprehensive plan to develop a permanent system for tax collection. The prime minister praised Federal Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, Advisor to PM Dr Syed Tauqir Shah, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, Finance Secretary Amdadullah Bosal, Information Secretary Ambreen Jan, FBR Chairman Mahmood Langrial, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director General Fawad Asadullah Khan and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Jan Muhammad for role in recovery of the aforementioned tax amount.
He said the entire nation, including he himself, was proud of the aforementioned people for recovering this huge amount in the national interest. He said the decision was enforced within 24 hours after an announcement was made. He said it was a historic achievement which was only made possible because of a hard-working team. The recovery of Rs34.5 billion was a good beginning and this was just start of the journey, he added.
“We have to form a sustainable system on a permanent basis,” he said adding, “We have to resolve decades of problems by working together.”
While appreciating the FBR chairman, he said a comprehensive legal structure should be formed for the recoveries of FBR on permanent basis. He directed that a plan should be presented to ensure reforms of FBR and implementation of tax laws.
The prime minister said a plan should also be prepared for the betterment of manpower of FBR.
The system could be improved with 100 percent digitalization, third-party validation and continuous monitoring, he told. He said full action should be initiated against those officers and personnel who were involved in any kind of misappropriation.
Encouragement of officers and personnel who performed well should be ensured, he continued. He said, “If we have to change the destiny of Pakistan then we have to bring change in the system on a permanent basis.”
“We will make all efforts to save every penny of the people,” he remarked. During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on the pending cases in courts regarding taxes and the steps taken by the government team for the recovery of money through these cases.
The FBR chairman informed the prime minister about the reforms of FBR’s Directorate of Law, a digital algorithm for tax assessment, performance of tax officers and FBR’s overall reforms.