PESHAWAR: The business community has rejected the abrupt implementation of the new digital invoicing system, and demanded its phase-wise enforcement, citing inadequate digital infrastructure.
The traders raised their concerns in three different resolutions that were adopted during an awareness session on digital invoicing organised by Sarhad Chamber of Commerce of Industry in collaboration with Federal Board of Revenue/Pakistan Revenue Automation Private Limited (PRAL) on Saturday.
The session was chaired by SCCI president Fazal Moqeem Khan, according to a statement issued here.
The resolutions strongly denounced the imposition of heavy penalties under section 25-Aof SRO-709, and called it an attempt to discourage industry.
Another resolution mentioned that businesses and industries were unprepared technically and physically to adopt the new system abruptly, therefore, it sought to defer its implementation.
In the third resolution, the business community suggested phase-wise and sector-wise implementation of the new digital invoicing system, right from large-scale manufacturing industries to small businesses and traders.
Traders and manufactures pointed out that adopting the new system was difficult keeping in view the inadequate digital infrastructure, particularly in underdeveloped and remote industrial zones, insufficient technical readiness among enterprises, especially SMEs, limited digital literacy and capacity, both at user and support levels.
They said FBR was not itself fully digitised to implement the digital invoicing system. They pointed out that frequent downtime of FBR’s IRIS services was a big road block to generating invoices.
They questioned what affordable alternatives were available for small traders who lacked ERP systems or couldn’t hire dedicated IT support.
On the occasion, SCCI chief Fazal Moqeem categorically rejected the enforcement of the new system and conveyed the apprehensions of the business community to senior officials of FBR/PRAL.
FBR/PRAL officials through a multimedia presentation briefed the participants about registration and integration of business and industries with the new system.
They assured the participants that issues relating to the new digital invoicing system would be taken up with high-ups to address them amicably.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2025