Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to introduce digital tax services in Urdu and regional languages to make tax platforms more accessible and improve taxpayer compliance across Pakistan.
The directive was issued during a weekly review meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office, where the premier emphasized the need to simplify digital tax systems and ensure that citizens from all regions can easily use government tax services.
Digital Tax Platforms to Become More Accessible
Under the new initiative, key FBR platforms—including the Auto Tax System, Digital Invoicing System, and IRIS (FBR tax portal)—will be made available in Urdu and other regional languages.
Officials said the move aims to make tax filing and compliance easier for individuals and businesses who may not be comfortable using English-language systems.
Focus on Enforcement and Automation
During the meeting, the prime minister also stressed the importance of strengthening enforcement mechanisms and expanding automated monitoring across major productive sectors.
He praised the economic team for appointing qualified experts to the executive team of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) on merit, noting that the organization is being transformed into a more efficient and technologically advanced institution.
Expansion of Digital Monitoring Systems
Officials briefed the meeting that modern monitoring tools—including video analytics, barcode scanning, unit counting, stamping, and serialization—are already being implemented in industries such as sugar, cement, cigarettes, and fertilizers to enhance tax transparency and increase revenue collection.
Similar monitoring mechanisms are now being extended to additional sectors, including textile, leather, paper, automobile, and beverages, which are expected to generate billions of rupees in additional tax revenue.
Reforms to Boost Taxpayer Confidence
The meeting was also informed that amendments to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committees law have been introduced to improve transparency and rebuild taxpayer trust. Authorities expect these reforms to help collect around Rs80 billion in taxes by June 30, 2026.
Between July 2025 and January 2026, decisions in tax cases resulted in the recovery of Rs102.9 billion, while pending cases are projected to generate Rs369 billion by June 2026.
Progress on Digital Tax Infrastructure
Officials reported that PRAL’s digital invoicing system generated invoices worth Rs800 billion between January and February 2026, with a target of Rs3 trillion by April.
The meeting also reviewed progress on a modern FBR data center, the launch of a digital cargo tracking system, the introduction of the e-Bilty system, and the implementation of a GPS tracking system for petroleum products to curb smuggling and improve regulatory oversight.
Participants in the Meeting
The session was attended by several senior government officials, including Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik, and Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja, along with the Attorney General of Pakistan, the FBR chairman, and senior officials from relevant institutions.
