ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan was informed on Sunday that tax receipts had surpassed Rs2,205 billion during the first six months (July-Dec) of the current financial year.

A meeting, held to review tax reforms with the prime minister in chair, was briefed that a growth in number of taxpayers had been witnessed because of tax reforms.

Federal ministers Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Shibli Faraz and Hammad Azhar, prime minister’s adviser Dr Ishrat Husain, special assistant on revenue Dr Waqar Masood, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Javed Ghani and relevant senior officers attended the meeting, according to a PM Office press release.

The meeting was informed that the tax collection was being automated and taxpayers were being given incentives. The automation of the taxation system would enhance transparency and reduce corruption and tax evasion.

The meeting was told that tax form had been made far easier for small and medium enterprises by reducing its pages from five to one and entries from 200 to just 24.

The prime minister was told that owing to the introduction of direct link between the FBR’s system and company through point of sale system, the receipt of sales tax had also increased.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2021