FBR chief urges exporters to promote local products
KARACHI: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial has urged exporters to expand the presence of Pakistani products in international markets and make effective use of available resources to increase national exports.
He said the FBR would soon hold meetings with major exporters to review their concerns, identify obstacles to export growth and take necessary measures to address them.
He was talking to a delegation of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), led by its President Sheikh Umer Rehan to discuss export promotion, tax system digitalisation, digital invoicing, anti-smuggling measures and challenges facing various industrial sectors.
According to association, Langrial said the FBR was pursuing tax system digitalisation and automated mechanisms to bring non- filers into the tax net. He also proposed establishing WhatsApp groups to improve communication between the FBR and the business community, enabling industrialists to share their concerns and recommendations with relevant officials promptly.
He described curbing smuggling and illegal trade as essential to protecting domestic industries and promoting legitimate business activities. The FBR chairman heard the delegation’s concerns and assured it that necessary steps would be taken to resolve the issues.
He also directed Member Inland Revenue Operations Zubair Bilal to meet representatives of KATI and the ghee and edible oil industries, examine their concerns and take appropriate action to address them.
KATI President Sheikh Umer Rehan said digitalisation of the tax system was essential, but practical difficulties faced by industries during the implementation of digital invoicing needed to be resolved.
He called on the government to provide businesses with proper guidance and technical assistance and establish effective coordination mechanisms to address implementation challenges. He said tax transparency should be strengthened without disrupting industrial and commercial activities.
Rehan stressed that broadening the tax base required bringing all individuals and businesses legally liable to pay taxes into the system. The tax burden, he said, should not remain concentrated on already compliant businesses. Instead, the authorities should identify untaxed sectors and ensure uniform enforcement of tax laws across all relevant segments.
He said simplifying and improving transparency in tax procedures would help reduce the cost of doing business and encourage investment.
The KATI president also highlighted tax and duty-related issues affecting industries in the Korangi Industrial Area, particularly the ghee and edible oil sector.
He called for a review of unnecessary statutory regulatory orders (SROs) and complicated regulatory requirements that obstruct business operations and increase production costs.
Such rules, he said, should be simplified and made practical to improve the competitiveness of local industries and strengthen the presence of Pakistani products in domestic and international markets.
The meeting also addressed challenges faced by the textile and pharmaceutical sectors. Rehan said direct consultation between industrialists and the FBR could help remove obstacles to the implementation of tax policies. Timely action on the business community concerns, he added, would strengthen trust between industry and government institutions and support industrial growth, trade and exports.
Zahid Saeed, Masood Naqi, Ehteshamuddin, Rashid Siddiqui and other participants also highlighted issues affecting the pharmaceutical, textile, packaging, plastics and other industrial sectors.
The delegation included KATI Senior Vice President Syed Farrukh Ali Qandhari, Vice President Nasir Sheikh, KITE Limited Chairman Zahid Saeed, Chief Executive Officer Saleem-uz-Zaman, former KATI presidents Masood Naqi, Tariq Malik, Ehteshamuddin and Rashid Ahmed Siddiqui, Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association (PVMA) Chairman Naveed Ahmed, Rashid Jan Muhammad and Afif Rashid.
FBR Member Inland Revenue Operations Zubair Bilal and Member Customs Operations Wajid Ali also attended the meeting, along with other representatives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026