ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Friday an incentive allowance for employees of the Federal Board of Revenue for achieving the collection target for the second quarter of the current fiscal year.

He was addressing the second chief commissioners’ conference which reviewed the targets achieved and discussed the strategy for revenue collection in the next six months.

Mr Dar praised the FBR for achieving the revenue collection target in the October -December quarter and increasing the revenue growth rate from 16 per cent at end-June to 19pc by the close of December.

The minister said that among the whole range of economic indicators, revenue collection was the most important of growth. “It is growth that we are focusing now, having achieved economic stability,” he said.

He attributed a turnaround of the economy during the past two and a half years to efforts of the whole economic team, including the FBR. He said the economic achievements had been acknowledged by international financial institutions of repute as, well as economic experts.

The minister called upon all the senior officials present on the occasion not to be complacent and to keep up their efforts for meeting the revenue targets for the remainder of the year. He said it was important to establish a relationship of cordiality between the taxpayers and the FBR and remove all apprehensions in the minds of people about the system of tax collection.

He said continued engagement and dialogue with the traders and business community had led to the announcement of the Voluntary Tax Compliance Scheme.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2016