ADB to help transform tax collection system

ISLAMABAD:

Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani on Thursday said that Pakistan was stepping up efforts to broaden its tax base, reduce the burden on compliant taxpayers and improve efficiency in tax collection through digitalisation and greater engagement with the private sector.

Addressing the "High-Level Dialogue on Taxation for Fiscal Sustainability", organised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Kayani said the prime minister was paying increased attention to reforms at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), holding weekly reviews and examining both strategic and operational aspects of the authority's transformation. ADB Vice President (South, Central and West Asia) Yingming Yang said tax and domestic resource mobilisation were the key to sustainable development, adding that robust revenue systems would empower governments to invest in people, infrastructure and resilience, reducing dependency on debt.

The VP said the ADB was committed to providing financial and technical assistance as well as sharing knowledge with Pakistan to help transform its revenue collection system.