Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned to complete implementation of the reforms in the tax system within stipulated timeframe.

He issued these directives while presiding over a weekly review meeting in Islamabad today on the reforms process in the Federal Board of Revenue.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed on the restructuring of PRAL.

The Prime Minister instructed to ensure a third-party audit of the reforms process, saying that the reforms in the tax system are aimed at the country's development.

The Prime Minister said digitalization, production monitoring, and automated systems were key pillars of the FBR reforms.

Shehbaz Sharif directed to expedite effective action against tax evasion, smuggling, and illegal businesses. He said appointment of reputed goods evaluators in the FBR is a welcoming step. He appreciated the efforts of the Chairman FBR and his team in this regard.

The meeting was given a detailed briefing on the ongoing reforms in the FBR, particularly the revamping of PRAL, the digitization of the tax system and the measures taken to curb smuggling.

It was informed the meeting that phased-wise work is underway on IRIS 3.0, a new tax operating model, and a central data hub to make the tax system modern, integrated, and data-driven.

It was also informed that services of international consultants have also been hired to design IRIS 3.0.

The meeting was told that a work is underway rapidly on a project under IRIS 3.0 to make the tax system more effective, pilot auto-taxation, and utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to further improve tax collection.

It was told that new senior-level appointments have been made in PRAL across various sectors, including technology, data security, operations, and the tax domain.

About the positive impacts of faceless assessment in the customs sector, the participants of the meeting were informed that twelve percent increase has been recorded in average revenue per Goods Declaration from January to June this year.

It was also informed that the system has also helped improve the identification and monitoring of irregularities in imports.

The meeting was briefed that the recruitment process of two hundred righty Goods Evaluators is in its final stage.

It was told that a Central Assessment Unit is being established in Islamabad which  would be made operational by the end of December this year as an interim arrangement, before it becomes fully functional in a new complex by June next year.

The meeting was also informed that  transactions worth  236 billion rupee were recorded in July last year through digital invoicing, which increased to 2.5 trillion rupee in July this year, with a target of four trillion rupees that has been set till  December this year.

It was told that several measures have been taken to prevent the illegal transportation of petroleum products, including GIS tagging of all legal petrol pumps, tracking of petroleum products through GPS, connecting the ERP system of Oil Marketing Companies with the tracker, and a central tracking App for law enforcement agencies.

The participants of the meeting were informed that through the Rahguzar App, two thousand five hundred illegal petrol pumps have been closed down and legal action has been initiated against them.

It was informed in the meeting that work is also underway including digital monitoring of the sale of petroleum products.