ISLAMABAD, March 31: The Central Board of Revenue collected Rs482.4 billion taxes during July-March of the current fiscal year as against the target of Rs476.4 billion, indicating an increase of Rs6 billion.

Official figures here on Friday showed that the revenue collection registered a growth of 20.2 per cent during the period under review when compared with Rs401.3 billion realized during the same period last fiscal year.

An official statement said the CBR expected that the overall collection would further increase when the revenue figures for March 2006 were finalized in the next few days. “It is encouraging that with the exception of federal excise duties, all the individual taxes have recorded a double-digit growth.”

The collection of direct taxes stood at Rs150 billion during the July-March period of the current fiscal year as against Rs119.473 billion over the same period last year, showing a growth of 25.6 per cent.

The sales tax collection reached Rs201.1 billion during the period under review as against Rs165.379 billion in the same period last year, indicating an increase of 21.59 per cent.

The collection on account of customs duties stood at Rs93.9 billion as compared to Rs80 billion, showing a growth of 17.3 per cent.

The collection under federal was Rs37.4 billion during the period under review as against Rs36.3 billion during the same period last year, recording a marginal growth of three per cent.