ISLAMABAD: The new task force met on Tuesday to discuss progress on the digitalisation of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and its impact on tax base expansion. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of digitisation for economic growth.

Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervez Malik and DG C41 Major General Syed Ali Raza co-chaired the maiden meeting at FBR headquarters. FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, members, and other senior officers were present.

At the outset, Mr Malik from management consultation firm Mckinsey explained that their focus is on two major areas: the overall digitisation of FBR and the identification and implementation of quick successes.

The meeting was informed that data sharing among key stakeholders was underway to compile data to identify non-filers and those dodging the system to evade their taxes. Mr Malik further said four achievements in the areas of income tax, sales tax, customs duty and collections have been identified based on global experience and data available within FBR.

“If the country needs to transition to a more inclusive and sustainable growth, then end-to-end-digitisation of FBR is imperative,” said Mr Malik, adding that the ultimate goal of the task force is to formulate policy interventions which can improve the efficacy of FBR to further increase the revenue stream for the country.

Mr Langrial said the Revenue Division is committed to maximising revenue by implementing data automation and software solutions. He impressed upon committee members to come up with practical recommendations to achieve the given task. He stressed the need for system integration and deployment of new systems to modernise the tax agency and enable it to achieve its future targets.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2024