Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to accelerate the implementation of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) reforms and strengthen enforcement measures to achieve the prescribed revenue target. During a weekly review meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister welcomed growing business confidence in the tax reforms while ordering senior officials to maintain direct, monthly engagement with commercial hubs in Karachi and Lahore.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Orders Accelerated FBR Reforms in Islamabad
Chairing the weekly review session in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pressed for a faster rollout of ongoing modernization initiatives within the Federal Board of Revenue. According to official reporting from en.neonews.pk, the prime minister instructed the FBR chairman and senior officers to spend two days every month stationed in Karachi and Lahore. This regular presence aims to address administrative issues directly and maintain close coordination with the business community. In addition to administrative engagement, the prime minister ordered intensified enforcement actions, pointing specifically to the FBR’s recent operations against illegal cigarette manufacturing factories operating in Chakwal and Swabi.
Faceless Inland Revenue System Rollout Scheduled for 2027
A central pillar of the FBR’s ongoing digitization strategy is the deployment of a new Artificial Intelligence and modern technology-based faceless Inland Revenue system. Officials briefed the meeting that the initial phase of this mechanism is scheduled to become operational on October 1 of this year, with a complete nationwide rollout mandated by 2027. The framework introduces specialized units to minimize direct human interaction in tax administration, featuring a National Faceless Audit Wing to examine tax returns and a Faceless Assessment Unit to handle formal tax assessments.
High-Level Officials Attend Weekly Tax Review
According to en.neonews.pk, attendees included Federal Ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Dr Musadik Masood Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, and Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
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