ISLAMABAD: In a renewed push to counter chronic tax evasion and address systemic flaws in revenue collection, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to identify individuals and companies involved in dodging taxes – stressing that efforts must go beyond the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) internal workforce and include private sector expertise.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on FBR reforms, the prime minister ordered the hiring of top international audit firms to conduct third-party evaluations of customs misdeclarations and under-invoicing – long-standing issues that continue to undermine the country’s trade and revenue systems.
He underscored the need for regular third-party audits to expose structural weaknesses and improve institutional performance. Sharif also directed the expedited completion of the long-delayed Income and Sales Tax Payers Directory, framing it as a way to publicly acknowledge compliant taxpayers, whom he described as the backbone of the economy.
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He argued that rewarding honest taxpayers while pursuing defaulters would help expand the tax net.
He also instructed the FBR to foster a more business-friendly environment, improve taxpayer facilitation, and recruit professionals to trace evaders and recover outstanding dues. A public awareness campaign is also expected to be launched to highlight the government’s enforcement drive.
During the briefing, officials informed the prime minister that efforts to identify tax evaders were underway and that progress was being made on compiling the taxpayer directory.
They also pointed to the development of a new “scientific auditing system” to assist in third-party reviews of customs declarations.
According to the FBR, a detailed audit of customs procedures and the Risk Management System (RMS) has been completed, with findings expected to guide future reforms. However, officials did not offer a timeline for implementation or disclose specific outcomes of the audit exercise.
The meeting was attended by several cabinet members, including Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik, alongside senior officials from relevant departments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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