Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to utilise its own workforce and engage private sector to identify tax-evading individuals and companies.
Chairing a meeting on FBR reforms, the prime minister directed the body to ensure a business-friendly environment and extend all possible facilities to taxpayers.
Calling the regular taxpayers the backbone of the national economy, he instructed the FBR to swiftly complete the Income Tax and Sales Taxpayers' Directory to honour taxpayers.
Honouring taxpayers and reprimanding tax evaders will help expand the tax net, the prime minister said, directing the hiring of professional services to identify tax evaders and recover revenue. He also called for launching a public awareness campaign on the government's measures against tax evasion.
The prime minister also instructed the FBR to select top international auditors for third-party reviews of misdeclaration and under-invoicing in customs clearance, also emphasising a continuous third-party reviews to identify system flaws and further improve it.
During the briefing, the prime minister was apprised of the measures being taken to identify tax evaders, complete the Taxpayers' Directory, and actions taken through super auditors to increase revenue.
The meeting was informed that work on the Taxpayers' Directory, meant to honour income and sales taxpayers, was progressing rapidly, while a scientific auditing system had been developed for third-party reviews of misdeclaration and under-invoicing in customs clearance
It was further said that super auditors had been appointed to thoroughly review customs clearance and the risk management system to utilise its output to improve the risk management system.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Dr Musadik Masood Malik, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ali Pervez Malik, and senior officials from relevant institutions.
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