ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: The constant decline in the cost accruing on revenue collection during the last nine years has resulted in lowering overall efficiency of tax officials.

This was stated by member direct taxes and Central Board of Revenue spokesman Vakil Ahmed Khan in a presentation to the Information Service Academy here on Friday.

He said that in the year 1993-94, the cost on revenue collection was 1.16 per cent of the total revenue collection that stood at Rs173 billion.

Mr Khan said that despite the increase in the revenue collection to Rs460 billion in the fiscal 2002-03, the cost on revenue collection declined to 0.58 per cent.

The CBR spokesman said that in the world the cost on collection of revenue stood in the range of two to five per cent, which resulted in better performance of the tax officials.