Mohsin Siddiqui (Chief Reporter) 

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Headquarters hosted a significant meeting on Wednesday, welcoming Martin Raiser, Vice President of the World Bank. Raiser engaged with Amjed Zubair Tiwana, Chairman FBR/Secretary Revenue Division, alongside a delegation including Najy Benhassine, Country Director, Gailius J Draugelis, Operations Manager, Tobias Akhtar Haque Lead Country Economist, and Irum Touqeer, Public Sector Specialist. Additionally, Ardsher Saleem Tariq, Member (Reforms and Modernization), and Karamatullah Khan Chaudhry, Member (Digital Initiative), participated in the event.

The meeting delved into a detailed presentation concerning FBR’s reform agenda, with a spotlight on initiatives integral to the Pakistan Raises Revenue Project, such as Harmonization of Sales Tax and the Track & Trace System. Furthermore, emphasis was placed on enhancing FBR’s ICT capacities. Raiser commended FBR’s digitalized tax administration policy, underscoring the potential benefits. He stressed that these initiatives, alongside phasing out exemptions gradually through a blend of social assistance and introducing consumption-based sales tax, could yield even greater results.

Chairman FBR reiterated the organization’s commitment to collaborating with all stakeholders to broaden the scope of digitalization in tax administration. He highlighted that digitalization isn’t solely about revenue generation but also about empowering FBR to make informed decisions for sustained revenue growth. Raiser echoed these sentiments, affirming World Bank’s eagerness to strengthen cooperation with FBR amidst the ongoing digitalization endeavors.