Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed to accelerate the pace of reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

He was chairing a meeting regarding the Federal Board of Revenue in Islamabad today.

The Prime Minister highlighted that the initial results of the ongoing reforms in the FBR are encouraging.

He further emphasised the need for continuously improving the FBR's capacity to address the tax gap, with a special focus on technology, effective training, transparency and accountability.

He also directed the acceleration of the implementation of a faceless system in tax collection areas.

Shehbaz Sharif said FBR officers must improve their performance in line with the expectations of the nation. He reaffirmed that the ongoing reforms are in the broader national interest and will continue without interruption.

The Prime Minister also directed to take indiscriminate action against corrupt elements in the FBR. He said officers and staff demonstrating improvements in their conduct and performance should be given an opportunity to reform themselves, while there would be no place in the institution for those who persist in corruption and poor performance.

The meeting was briefed on the latest progress and results of the reforms underway in the FBR, covering technology, operational systems and human resources.

It was informed that the estimated tax gap has declined from six percent to five percent of GDP over the past three years as a result of the reforms.

The meeting was updated that the effective use of technology has significantly reduced the discretionary powers of FBR officers.

It was told that the newly recruited FBR officers are being trained at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), while in-service training programmes are also underway for serving officers. A peer-rating system has been introduced to assess officers' performance.

The meeting was also apprised that 957 auditors have been hired on merit-based contracts as third-party auditors to enhance the FBR's audit capacity. Their deployment has increased the Board's audit capacity fourfold.

It was further briefed that the FBR is also undergoing extensive technology-driven restructuring, with the recruitment of specialised technical personnel and the introduction of a performance-linked incentive system.