The government has established a new committee, led by a three-star military general, to oversee data integration efforts aimed at expanding the tax base.
This move precedes the imminent arrival of a technical mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), tasked with assessing Pakistan’s tax system.
Lieutenant General Muhammad Munir Afsar Chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), will head the technical committee, as notified by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The newly formed committee will devise proposals for data integration to expand the tax base and formulate an IT infrastructure transformation plan.
The eight-member committee, consisting of three senior FBR members, has been tasked with crafting a comprehensive plan for data integration. Their primary objective is to significantly increase the number of income tax return filers, aiming to elevate last year’s count of 4.9 million to 6.5 million within the next eight months, as outlined in an official notification.
As reported by Express Tribune, Pakistan has shared an FBR restructuring plan with the IMF, outlining the integration of 145 entities into the FBR network to expand the tax base. However, the Prime Minister has withheld approval, instructing further refinement to address ambiguities and contradictions in the proposed restructuring plan.
This strategic initiative aligns with the impending visit of an IMF technical mission to Pakistan, scheduled to commence next week.
The mission will conduct a thorough review of the country’s tax laws and FBR’s administrative structure, ultimately delivering recommendations within two months. These suggestions may serve as a foundation for the upcoming IMF program.
