LAHORE – Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced to expand tax base through digitalisation of tax collection authority, stressing that Pakistan cannot regress on efforts to increase the number of taxpayers.
The country’s new finance chief made these remarks during a panel discussion at the Pre-Budget Conference held by a local publication and Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry in Lahore.
He also mentioned that PM Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee to address challenges in implementing the Tajir Dost Scheme, which includes the Federal Board of Revenue chairman, the finance secretary, and the commerce ministry secretary. Despite the scheme, only 75 retailers and shopkeepers have been registered as of April 30.
Minister further highlighted the importance of these structural changes in bringing retailers, shopkeepers, and traders into the tax net and documenting the undocumented economy, indicating that failure to implement such changes may necessitate other measures.
