(Karachi) Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that tax collection has surpassed Rs2,205 billion during the first half of the current fiscal year, local media reported.

The PM said this during a meeting in Islamabad on Sunday.

On the occasion, Imran Khan lauded the authorities for bringing about much-needed reforms in the taxation system. He called for measures to enhance the number of taxpayers in the country. The prime minister said that out of 220 million people in Pakistan only 3,000 pay 70 percent taxes.

“Half of the taxes we [the government] collect go in debt settlement of loans taken by previous governments,” the PM reiterated.

Meanwhile, the officials apprised the prime minister on “positive outcomes” of tax reforms. They said that the number of taxpayers increased manifold due to the reforms.

The meeting was told that the tax collection system is being automated and taxpayers being given incentives.

It was stated that the new digital taxation system will enhance transparency and help check corruption and tax evasion. Tax form has been simplified for small and medium enterprises by reducing its pages from five to one and entries from 200 to just 24. Sales tax receipts also witnessed an increase due to the reforms.