Smuggling, illicit trade curbed in a big way: Jul-Nov POL products’ revenue jumps 82pc YoY, PM told

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed on Friday that revenue from petroleum products surged by 82 percent from July to November 2025, compared to the same period last year, with the increase attributed to ongoing efforts to combat smuggling and illicit trade.

This update was shared during a briefing to the prime minister in a weekly review meeting on the performance of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), chaired by the prime minister.

According to the officials, the rise in revenue follows a series of successful anti-smuggling initiatives, signalling progress in the government’s crackdown on illegal trade.

Pakistan loses Rs750bn tax revenue to illicit trade, smuggling yearly: report

However, the prime minister highlighted the massive annual losses the country faces due to smuggling.

“Billions of rupees in valuable assets are lost to smuggling every year,” he said, emphasising the urgent need for more decisive action.

While acknowledging progress, Sharif called for a more aggressive stance against tax evasion, reiterating that there would be “zero tolerance” for smuggling or tax fraud.

He also directed provincial governments to fully cooperate with the FBR in taking stricter measures against illegal petrol stations.

The briefing outlined several measures already in place to tackle smuggling, including a nationwide customs coordination system, completed registrations of petrol pumps through the Rahguzar app, and ongoing legal actions against unregistered stations.

Under the newly passed Petroleum Act, district administrations now have the authority to seize illegal machinery used in the smuggling of petroleum products.

A GPS tracking system has also been rolled out to monitor the transportation of petroleum products across the country.

Officials claimed that the government’s multi-pronged approach has already yielded tangible results, with significant actions taken against the smuggling of cigarettes, tyres, textiles, electronics, and other goods.

They argued that these efforts have played a key role in the surge in revenue in recent months.

Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani, FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial, and senior officials from relevant institutions attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025