Asad Umar urges FBR to use technology to boost up tax revenue

• The minister said that the digital platform allows one to break that barrier.
• The revenue generation and documentation of economy has been a major challenge for the country and initiatives have been taken to use the technology to achieve this target.

Federal Minister for Planning and Reforms Asad Umar has urged Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to use technology rather than pressing its officials to increase tax revenue.

Addressing a conference titled 'Sustainable Development in a Digital Society' on Tuesday, the minister further said that big business houses have used their power to influence economic decisions.

“I have always maintained that in the Pakistani economy, those who have the best ideas, who are willing to work hard and are willing to take the entrepreneurial risks are not necessarily the ones who become the biggest winners, it is those who have the most influence and the ability to influence policy and decision,” said Umar.

The federal minister added that the digital platform allows one to break that barrier. “From examples of girls sitting at home in rural areas and being able to conduct business to potentially the startups becoming multi-billion rupees company and hopefully at some point of time to multi-billion dollar company, so there is a whole spectrum which is available,” said Umar.

He pointed out that efforts have also been made to bridge the digital divide between the urban centers and the remote areas. In this regard, the Universal Service Fund has played an important role in development of telecommunication services in different areas of the country.

The minister further said that the revenue generation and documentation of economy has been a major challenge for the country and initiatives have been taken to use the technology to achieve this target. “I am convinced even today that the ultimate breakthrough will come through digitization of the economy, much more than the efforts of FBR officers.”

Umar has said the government is striving to ensure efficient delivery of services to the people by using the latest technology. “The development of the digital economy would only be a success if all 200 million citizens of Pakistan were able to benefit from this.”

He said that promotion of digital economy is of extreme importance for Pakistan to move forward on the path of progress and development.