Minister miffed at ‘failure’ of FBR’s Tajir app

ISLAMABAD: After failure of the Tajir Dost Scheme, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is considering different options for bringing small traders into the tax net.

The minister of finance has shown his annoyance over the failure of the scheme and directed the FBR to come up with viable options having both carrot and stick to expand the narrowed tax base.

According to an FBR statement on Thursday night, Muhammad Aurangzeb visited the Board’s headquarters and held a meeting with FBR Chairman Malik Amjed Zubair Tiwana and other officials to discuss various tax-related initiatives of the Revenue Division. During the meeting, discussions were held on Tajir Dost Scheme, different information technology projects and issues pertaining to tax fraud and fake invoices. Regarding the Tajir Dost Scheme, the minister said that the scheme seeks to bring small traders into the tax net and the government is committed to make it successful in order to expand the tax base. Aurangzeb also called for devising an effective mechanism to unearth cases of tax fraud and fake invoices and ensure recovery of sales tax evaded through fraudulent ways. Various other matters, including revenue collection efforts and digitalisation of the FBR, also came under discussion.