Punjab government to unify collections of provincial taxes: minister

Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakhat has said the government is making efforts for unification of taxes and harmonization in revenue collection in all four provinces while clarifications would be made on the tax related litigations and GST on services related matters.

"Reforms would be introduced and all services would be brought in the tax net by balancing the system while tax exempted services would be made clear in the Finance Act," stated the minister while presiding over a review meeting of the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) here on Sunday. He said reduction in withholding tax rate was attached with the registration of businesses with the tax departments.

Stressing the need for introducing a single tax collection platform, Bakhat said that reforms are being brought at the provincial level. He said that a tax management unit is being established in the Punjab Finance Department to unify collections of all the provincial taxes, adding that the input of private sector will also be sought and appreciated in this regard.

The minister, appreciating the efforts of the Punjab government in ease of doing business, expressed that the tax reforms will further ease in doing business and improve Pakistan's ranking in the world. The PRA officials briefed the minister that new standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being evolved and the technical staff would be hired on decision-making and important positions. Later, Bakhat instructed the officials to issue the tax clearance certificates to taxpayers along with their audit reports.