IMF’s corruption assessment: All set to finalise action plan by 31st: Aurangzeb
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday announced that the government is set to finalise an action plan by 31 December 2025, aimed at implementing the 15 key recommendations outlined in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment report.
Responding to a calling attention notice by MNA Syed Hafeezuddin in National Assembly, he said that work is under way on the IMF’s recommendations and a report will be published by the end of this month.
He further clarified that the IMF’s assessment highlighted structural deficiencies, not only in Pakistan, but across 22 countries, including the UK and Switzerland.
Regarding tax evasion, he said the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has collected 27 percent more tax revenue in the current financial year compared to the previous one.
He further noted that the tax-to-GDP ratio, which stood at 10.3 percent in the last financial year, has risen to 11 percent in the current year.
He announced that the FBR achieved a historic performance in the last fiscal year, collecting Rs11.7 trillion, up from Rs9.3 trillion the previous year.
Pakistani govt initiated IMF’s governance and corruption report: Aurangzeb
The Rs2.5 trillion increase represents a robust 27 percent growth, which the minister characterised as an “undeniably strong performance.”
He provided a breakdown of the category-wise growth: income tax collection rose by 28 percent, sales tax by 26 percent, federal excise duty by 33 percent, and customs duty by 16 percent.
Emphasising a significant achievement, the minister noted that Pakistan has finally improved its tax-to-GDP ratio after several years, increasing from 8.5percent in FY 2023-24 to 10.3percent last year.
He projected the ratio would approach 11percent in the current fiscal year. He also highlighted an additional Rs200 billion in recent gains and underscored the importance of enhanced compliance, with around 400,000 non-null tax returns filed.
Aurangzeb further stated that monitoring and enforcement efforts had been stepped up, citing the sugar sector as an example, where Rs7 billion more in tax was collected in July 2025 compared to November 2024.
He added that the government is now focusing on the tobacco and textile sectors, stressing, “Wherever tax is not collected, the government will take action.”
Earlier, responding to questions during the Question Hour, Minister for National Health Services, Mustafa Kamal, informed the House that barcodes would be affixed to all medicines to prevent the sale of counterfeit drugs.
These barcodes, accessible via a mobile app, will display key details like price and expiry date. A dedicated helpline will also be launched for complaints. The minister emphasised that measures would be taken to eliminate fake drugs.
He also revealed that the government is working on the Universal Medical Record project, which will maintain the medical data of all citizens, particularly on cancer.
The Computerised National Identity Card number will serve as the Medical Record Number, with a command and control centre being set up at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.
He added that cervical cancer claims over 5,000 lives annually in Pakistan, and the vaccine for cervical cancer has been added to the national immunisation programme.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, said that agricultural reforms are underway, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif prioritising agriculture and food security. The State Bank of Pakistan has instructed banks to offer loans to farmers, and Sindh and other provinces are providing subsidies, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025