PM wants more tax tribunals to unlock Rs3.2tr

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities on Thursday to increase the number of Appellate Tribunals from 50 to 100, to expedite the resolution of pending tax cases while asking the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to bring affluent individuals under the tax net. The premier held a follow-up meeting with top FBR officials to review the performance of several tax projects that have been delayed for over three years. This was one of several meetings held by the prime minister to direct the FBR to speed up the digitalisation of the tax system. He also directed an increase in the number of Appellate Tribunals for Customs cases and the creation of a dashboard to assess the performance of these tribunals. During the meeting, a minister proposed appointing an FBR deputy chairman to oversee the reforms’ implementation. However, a ministerial committee will examine the idea before it is sent to the prime minister for approval, a source privy to the meeting told Dawn.