KP CM wants efforts to enhance revenue generation through taxes

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Wednesday said all-out efforts should be made to enhance the revenue generation in the province through efficient taxation system and pragmatic steps taken to realise the targets set by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA).

He stated this during a briefing session by KPRA where he was informed that the revenue generated by the KPRA remained high compared to other tax collecting agencies and that the KPRA) was eying Rs50 billion revenue generation on yearly basis by the year 2023.

An official handout said that the share of the KPRA in provincial tax receipts till March, this year remained 54 per cent as compared to Board of Revenue, Excise and Taxation and Transport Departments shares of 25, 16 and 5 per cent, respectively.

The meeting was informed that the total tax collection for the ongoing fiscal year, excluding telecom tax, is expected to be Rs11 billion whereas for the year 2019-20 the total tax collection is expected to be Rs20b if sales tax on telecom services was restored by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He was informed that the reforms introduced by the incumbent government had ensured an increase in the revenue generation.

From July to November 2018, the average tax collection on the monthly basis, excluding telecom tax, remained RS750 million whereas after the introduction of reforms, from November 2018 to March 2019, the average tax collection on monthly basis was Rs857 million, excluding telecom taxes. These reforms include bringing the KPRA under the administrative control of the Finance Department, preparing revenue enhancement plan, implementation of the enhancement plan for the year 2018-19 and the launching of monthly performance reviews.