PM Shehbaz Orders Deadline-Driven FBR Tax Reforms with Third-Party Audits.
✧ GENERATE BRIEFING +
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered strict, deadline-driven execution of ongoing Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) structural reforms, backed by mandatory third-party audits to track accountability and performance. Chairing a high-level weekly progress review in Islamabad, the prime minister emphasized that digital transformation, automated data integration, and aggressive anti-smuggling enforcement must remain the foundational pillars of Pakistan's tax overhaul.Key updates presented during the review included ongoing development of the IRIS 3.0 tax operating platform with international consultancy support, comprehensive restructuring of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL), and the integration of artificial intelligence for tax profiling.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has escalated administrative oversight over Pakistan’s tax apparatus, instructing federal authorities to execute all pending Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) structural reforms within strict, time-bound targets.
During a weekly review session dedicated to FBR modernization, the premier mandated that an independent third-party audit mechanism be deployed to monitor project milestones, evaluate software deployment, and verify anti-corruption progress across tax collectorates.
Technological Upgrades: IRIS 3.0 and PRAL Overhaul
Federal tax officials briefed the prime minister on the technical roadmap currently underway, which includes:
- IRIS 3.0 Deployment: Development of a next-generation tax operating model supported by international consultants to build a unified central data warehouse, replacing fragmented legacy databases.
- PRAL Restructuring: Comprehensive corporate and operational restructuring of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) to improve software delivery speed, data security, and internal IT infrastructure.
- Artificial Intelligence Integration: Transitioning from manual audits to automated, AI- and machine-learning-driven transaction matching to detect underreporting and tax evasion.
Crackdown on Smuggling and Tax Evasion
Prime Minister Sharif reiterated that technological automation must be paired with zero-tolerance enforcement against tax evasion, misdeclaration, and illicit cross-border trade. He instructed law enforcement and customs intelligence to intensify operations against smuggled goods and underground commercial networks that drain national revenues.
The integration of automated production monitoring and rigorous third-party auditing aims to restore taxpayer confidence and expand the documented tax base in line with IMF fiscal benchmarks.
