World Bank Praises FBR for Digitizing Tax System

Raiser visited the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) headquarters on Wednesday and met with Amjed Zubair Tiwana, who serves as the Chairman of FBR and Secretary of the Revenue Division.

Vice President of the World Bank, Martin Raiser, commended FBR’s digitalized tax administration policy. He stressed that these initiatives would yield even more significant benefits when combined with the gradual elimination of exemptions, achieved through a mix of social assistance measures and the introduction of consumption-based sales tax.

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During the visit, a detailed presentation on FBR and its reform agenda was delivered, highlighting initiatives like the Pakistan Raises Revenue Project, Harmonization of Sales Tax, Track & Trace System, and enhancements to FBR’s ICT capabilities.

Chairman FBR expressed FBR’s collaborative efforts with stakeholders in digitalization initiatives, aiming to broaden tax administration. He emphasized that digitalization not only enhances revenue collection but also enables informed decision-making for sustainable revenue growth.

Raiser echoed Chairman FBR’s sentiments, indicating the World Bank’s readiness to strengthen collaboration with FBR through the ongoing digitalization efforts.

Accompanying Raiser were Najy Benhassine, Country Director, Gailius J Draugelis, Operations Manager, Tobias Akhtar Haque, Lead Country Economist, and Irum Touqeer, Public Sector Specialist. Ardsher Saleem Tariq, Member (Reforms and Modernization), and Karamatullah Khan Chaudhry, Member (Digital Initiative), also attended the meeting.