Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to ensure collection of tax targets and bring tax defaulters to justice.
A high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister to end the trend of illegal tobacco smuggling and tax evasion in the country, in which Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, Chairman F. BR Asim Ahmed and senior officials attended.
The meeting was informed that track and trace system has been installed in most of the cigarette factories on the direction of the Prime Minister, as a result of which the tax collection in the tobacco sector has improved.
The briefing said that from July to December, taxes of Rs 83.5 billion have been collected from the tobacco sector, which is 26% more than the tax collected during the same period last year. The Prime Minister directed that the FBR should improve the tax collection system with a comprehensive strategy so that tax evasion in the cigarette and tobacco sector can be completely eradicated.
Shahbaz Sharif appreciated the efforts of the FBR officials for the improvement of the tax system, and directed them to intensify their efforts to bring substantial improvements in the tax collection system.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif also presided over a review meeting on the historic Kisan Package given by the government for the development of the agricultural sector. In which he said that we have to ensure food security in Pakistan in all circumstances, the Prime Minister directed that special attention should be paid to the cultivation and production of wheat, cotton, canola and olives for food security in the country. Moreover, the farmers should be ensured the supply of better seeds to increase the production of other food grains including pulses.
The meeting was informed that for the implementation of Kisan Package, youth loan scheme, interest waiver for small farmers and provision of interest free agricultural loans to small farmers in flood affected areas through State Bank notification to banks. Instructions have been issued.
The participants were informed that in the current financial year till November, agricultural loans of 664 billion have been disbursed to farmers, which is 36% more than the same period of the previous financial year.
Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for National Food Security and Research Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Industry Minister Syed Murtaza Mehmood, Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Mossadegh Malik, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr. Jahanzeb Khan were present in the meeting. , Governor State Bank Jameel Ahmed, Prime Minister’s Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal and concerned senior officials attended.
