KPRA says Rs10.584b collected

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) has collected Rs10.584 billion during the last financial year 2018-19. According to the press release of the KPRA, the efforts of the authority brought 43 percent growth in the tax collections from non-telecom regimes. It said the financial year 2018-19, however, posed many challenges as on taking suo moto action, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, suspended the collection and payment of sales tax on cellular telecom services. Resultantly, KPRA could not receive Rs283 billion from telecom companies. Last year telecom contributed 48 percent in the aggregate collections but this year its contribution remained only 23 percent. Similarly, during the year before 2018-19 non-telecom sectors contributed 52 percent but this year their contribution increased from 52 percent to 77 percent. During 2018-19, telecom contributed only Rs2.453 billion as against Rs5.287 billion contributed last year indicating shortfall of 54 percent.