PM praises minister, officials for recovery of Rs34.5bn by FBR

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Saturday, while appreciating the minister and officers on the recent recovery of Rs34.5 billion taxes by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), said that we have to form a sustainable system on a permanent basis, and resolve decades of problems by working together.

On his return from Saudi Arabia, the prime minister chaired a meeting on the FBR performance.

He appreciated the ministers and officers, especially Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Atta Ullah Tarar, Advisor to Prime Minister Syed Tauqir Shah, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal, Information Secretary Ambreen Jan, FBR Chairman Arshad Mehmood Langrial, Intelligence Bureau Director General Fawad Asadullah Khan, FIA Director General Jan Muhammad and officers concerned on the steps taken for the historic recovery.

Shehbaz said he and the whole nation were thankful to them for attaining Rs34.5 billion for the national exchequer. The recovery of the amount within 24 hours after the decision was commendable, he said, adding these best results show that if there was hard work and dedication, then success was attainable. He said it was a historic achievement which was only made possible because of a hard-working team. The recovery of Rs34.5 billion was a good beginning and this was just the start of the journey, he added.

While appreciating the FBR chairman, he said a comprehensive legal structure should be formed for the recoveries of FBR on a permanent basis. He directed that a plan should be presented to ensure reforms in the Bureau and implementation of tax laws.

The prime minister said a plan should also be prepared for the betterment of manpower of the FBR. The system could be improved with 100 percent digitalisation, third-party validation and continuous monitoring, he added. He said full action should be initiated against those officers and personnel who were involved in any kind of misappropriation. Encouragement of officers and personnel who performed well should be ensured, he continued. He said, “If we have to change the destiny of Pakistan then we have to bring change in the system on a permanent basis.

“We will make all efforts to save every penny of the people,” he remarked.

During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on the pending cases in courts regarding taxes and the steps taken by the government team for the recovery of money through these cases. The FBR chairman informed the prime minister about the reforms of Bureau’s Directorate of Law, a digital algorithm for tax assessment, performance of tax officers and FBR’s overall reforms.