ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a meeting on tax issues on Saturday was informed that an amount of Rs34.5 billion had been recovered by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) recently.

The recovery of the amount within 24 hours after the decision was commendable, the premier noted, saying the result showed that if there was hard work and dedication then success was attainable.

Calling the recovery of Rs34.5bn a historic achievement, PM Shehbaz said it was a good beginning.

“We have to form a sustainable system on a permanent basis,” he said, adding, “We have to resolve decades of problems by working together.”

The PM said that a comprehensive legal structure should be formed for the recoveries of FBR on a permanent basis and a plan be presented to ensure reforms of FBR and implementation of tax laws.

He said a plan should also be prepared for the betterment of FBR’s manpower. The system could be improved with 100 per cent digitalisation, third-party validation and continuous monitoring, he added.

The premier emphasised that full action should be initiated against those officers and personnel who were involved in any kind of misappropriation.

Encouragement of those who performed well should be ensured, he continued.

The prime minister was also briefed on tax cases pending decisions in courts as well as the steps taken for the recovery of money through these cases.

The FBR chairman informed the meeting about the reforms of bureau’s directorate of law, a digital algorithm for tax assessment, performance of tax officers and FBR’s overall reforms.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2025