FBR asked to maximise tax collection

E-Paper | July 29, 2026

ISLAMABAD: At a time when billions of rupees in revenue from new tax measures are stuck in litigation, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday asked top tax officials to gear up efforts to collect maximum revenue to narrow the gap with International Monetary Fund over annual tax collection projection.

Mr Dar held a meeting on revenue performance at FBR headquarters.

Chairman Asim Ahmed briefed the minister and two special assistants to Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa and Tariq Pasha, who also served as former chairmen of the board in the last PML-N government.

Four revenue measures especially the super tax introduced in the last budget, which involved a collection of Rs250 billion were challenged in courts by a few taxpayers and created problems for FBR in reaching its annual revenue target. As a result of litigation, taxpayers uphold tax payments under these heads.

A source privy to the meeting told Dawn that Mr Dar has asked the FBR officials to gear up efforts to raise maximum revenue. No guideline or instruction came from the finance minister regarding any new tax measures, the source added.

Mr Dar focus of direction was on administrative efforts to improve compliance, the source further added.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2022

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Mubarak Zeb Khan is a senior staff correspondent for Dawn, bringing over two decades of experience to his coverage of political economy, trade, taxation, and public finance. He is a former Innovation Journalism fellow at Stanford University and a Chevening Scholar. He tweets @mubarakzebdawn.

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yasser

Dec 22, 2022 10:19am

tax the retailers who do business in billions but pay no tax, tax the electricity thieves, straighten out the traffic police from where billions can be made in a single week!!

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Ali Vaqar Awan

Dec 22, 2022 10:40am

Taxation system needs big improvement. Its that many people in Pakistan need to be brought under tax bracket which is currently very minimal. Retailers and people in restaurant industry should be properly taxed as they are ones who eat way tax that denies our nation of proper revenue.

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Mansur Ul Haque

Dec 22, 2022 03:48pm

Same old statement of same old story.Faces might have changed.Officials not changed.FM in the meeting asked the concerned to meet the target.Statement is based on reality? Imports are down.Economic activity at lowest ebb.Litigation pending in the court of law against tax defaulters. No mention of expanding tax base.Once again existing tax payers will be grinded. Good for corrupt officials. Politics superseded National interest. More than 4 million traders only 20000 pay tax. Why? PDM voters?

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raheel

Dec 22, 2022 08:09pm

Many of our PDM ministers are also business men/women, do they their fare share of tax? I doubt it.

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