ISLAMABAD: The government will hunt ‘big fish’ involved in  tax evasion but will not impose any new tax this year leaving a wild speculation that the budget 2009-10 will carry a range of taxation measures in compliance with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditionality’s.

‘We will avoid new taxes before the upcoming budget. There will be no mini-budget in the remaining seven months of the current fiscal year. But we are considering a list of luxury and non-essential items for regulatory duty,’ Advisor to Prime Minister Shaukat Tarin said on Thursday.

Briefing a selected group of journalists about the possible fall out of the IMF package on Pakistan’s economy, the advisor said no change will be made in the direct taxes nor rate of any other tax will be increased before the upcoming budget.

Tarin said the government will introduce audit of all taxes to detect tax evaders. ‘We will randomly select five to seven per cent taxpayers for detailed audits’, he said adding the audit will be carried out through outsourced companies to avoid harassment of taxpayers.

To make up the slight reduction in the tax revenue in the month of November, the advisor said efficiency of the tax machinery will be improved.

Ultimately, the stock exchange, agriculture and real estate will have to contribute their share in the tax realization. Due to increase in the inflation rate, the tax revenue target has been revised upward to Rs1360 billion from the projected Rs1250 billion.