MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Minister for Finance and Inland Revenue Chaudhry Qasim Majeed on Monday expressed satisfaction that the Inland Revenue Department had exceeded its tax collection target for the previous fiscal year, but directed officials to introduce further reforms to ease tax compliance and improve institutional efficiency.

He issued the instructions while presiding over a departmental review meeting attended by Secretary Inland Revenue and Chairman AJK Central Board of Revenue (CBR) Chaudhry Muhammad Raqeeb, North Zone Commissioner Ishtiaq Ahmed, South Zone Commissioner Syed Ansar Ali and officers from both zones.

Briefing the meeting, the secretary said the department had collected more than Rs71 billion during the financial year 2024–25, surpassing the assigned targets despite “numerous challenges.” The meeting also reviewed tax targets for the upcoming financial year 2025–26, overall performance, revenue trends and issues confronting the department.

Terming the department’s performance satisfactory, the minister directed officials to not only meet but enhance the revenue targets set for the current year. He called for reforms in the tax collection system to ensure taxpayers did not face difficulties, and instructed the establishment of Tax Facilitation Centres (TFCs) at the sub-division level across AJK.

In the first phase, such centres should be set up in Haveli and Kotli districts, he said.

Mr Majeed also ordered the removal of obstacles delaying the revival of industries in AJK, saying the restoration of the industrial sector would boost economic growth and help curb unemployment. He further directed that all tax collection functions be digitised and taken online, and a Digitization and IT Wing must be established for the purpose in the AJK CBR.

It was also decided that departmental review meetings would be held every 15 days to monitor performance.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2025