News

Overbilling probe sparks call for nationwide scrutiny

Confirming widespread overbilling and subsequent punitive action against relevant electricity officials in Lahore following a probe ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Power Division on Monday said the federal government cannot abolish electricity duty — as announced by the power minister — without the consent of the provincial governments. Testifying at a public hearing held by the N

Procedures notified for collection of tax on digital transactions

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued new procedures to govern the registration of e-commerce sellers and the collection of tax on digital transactions. These measures are part of a broader effort to bring the retail market into the tax net and ensure tax compliance for digitally ordered goods and services. The FBR has released Income Tax Circular No. 01 and Sales Tax Circular No. 02, w

FBR sets safeguards against sales tax fraud arrests

Amid mounting pressure from the business community over sweeping powers granted to tax officials under Sections 37A and 37B of the Sales Tax Act, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced a procedural framework to regulate arrests in tax fraud cases, providing safeguards to prevent misuse. The move follows a nationwide strike by traders on July 19 and unsuccessful talks with SAPM Haroon

Sugar mills seek hearing delay

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has postponed hearings in the sugar cartelisation case involving 79 sugar mills and the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) after a request was made citing the unavailability of legal counsel due to the Supreme Court’s summer recess. The PSMA and its member mills sought rescheduling of the rehearing originally slated for Aug 4-7, arguing that the

Urea sales decline in July, meat exports surge

Pakistan’s urea sales for July totalled 608,000 tonnes, a slight dec­rease of 1pc compared to 612,000 tonnes in the same month last year. The decline was attributed to weak farm economics and the impact of the monsoon season. Month-on-month, urea sales saw a sharp drop of 19pc, mainly due to the conclusion of the Rabi season. For the seven-month period from January to July (7MCY25), total urea