ISLAMABAD: The government and leaders of traders’ associations have agreed that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials and trader representatives will jointly visit markets across all four provinces to register shopkeepers under the Easy Tax Scheme.

The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani on Tuesday.

Trade leaders Ajmal Baloch and Kashif Chaudhry, Member Inland Revenue Operations Zubair Bilal, senior FBR officials, chief commissioners, and representatives of RTO Islamabad and Rawalpindi attended the meeting. RTOs and CTOs nationwide joined via video link.

An official announcement said the meeting reviewed the performance of regional tax offices under the scheme and progress made so far.

It was decided that FBR officers and trader representatives will devise strategies to facilitate registration in local markets.

Officials from regional and corporate tax offices will accompany trade leaders at pre-scheduled times to conduct registration drives across the country.

The state minister announced that another review meeting will be held next week to assess progress. The meeting also considered feedback from traders on the scheme.

Speaking at the meeting, the minister said the scheme was launched under the guidance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in response to traders’ demands, and its effective implementation has begun.

“Today, the first plaque under the scheme has been installed in Islamabad, fulfilling the government’s promise,” he said, adding that plaques will be placed on shops nationwide tomorrow.

He emphasised that the scheme will expand the tax net while easing compliance for traders. “Continuous monitoring will be ensured, and every effort will be made to make this historic scheme a success,” Mr Kayani remarked.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2026