ISLAMABAD, Nov 30: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has provisionally collected Rs133.53 billion during the first five months of the current financial year against Rs140.98 billion it netted during the same period last year, registering a negative growth of 5.28 per cent.

But the revenue receipts have declined by 17.85 per cent or Rs5 billion to Rs23 billion in November this year against Rs28 billion revenue collection during the same month last year.

The target set for the July-November period of current financial year was Rs150.7 billion against the Rs140.98 billion revenue collection during the same period last year, an increase of over 6 per cent.

And the tax collection during the first five months stood at Rs133.53 billion against the target of Rs150.7 billion, registering a negative growth of 17.17 per cent.

A relevant senior official in the CBR told Dawn that the shortfall registered during the first five months of the current fiscal was due to the major decline in the dutiable imports.

He said that withholding tax and sales tax, which were also collected at import stage, were also declined due to decrease in the dutiable imports during the July-Nov period this year.

The officials said that despite the prevailing tension in the region, CBR paid around Rs3.8 billion refund in customs to businessmen in November due to which the collection declined as compared to the last year collection.

According to provisional figures compiled by the CBR till Friday, showed that revenue collection under the head of direct taxes declined by 4.53 per cent during the first five months of the current fiscal and stood at Rs41.22 billion this year against Rs43.18 billion during the same period last year, while under the head of sales tax, the tax authorities have collected Rs59.5 billion during the same period this year against Rs52.23 billion during the same period last year, showing an increase of 13.91 per cent.

Under the head of customs, the tax authorities have collected Rs16.18 billion during the July-Nov period this year against Rs24.02 billion during the same period last year, registering a negative growth of 32.63 per cent.

The tax authorities have collected Rs16.62 billion under the head of central excise duty during the July-Nov period this year against Rs21 billion during the same period last year, showing a decrease of 20.85 per cent.

The tax authorities have collected Rs23 billion in November this year against Rs28 billion revenue collection during the same month last year, showing a decline of 17.85 per cent or Rs5 billion.

The target set for November of current financial year was Rs33 billion against Rs28 billion, an increase of over 17 per cent.

But the tax collection in November stood at Rs23 billion against the target of Rs33 billion, a decline of 30.3 per cent.

All the four main heads of revenue collection—direct taxes, sales tax, customs and central excise duty — registered a negative growth in November this year against the same period last year.

The major decline in revenue collection was registered under the head of custom duty as it declined by 74 per cent in November this year, and stood at Rs1.4 billion against Rs5 billion during the same month last year.