Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a thorough investigation to identify all institutions, companies, and individuals involved in a major sales tax fraud, directing the inquiry committee to submit its report within three weeks. He also instructed that strict legal action be taken against those found responsible.
According to a report by state nedia, the prime minister issued these directives while chairing a review meeting at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on reforms underway in the tax authority. The meeting was briefed on FBR’s participation in the recent annual World Bank Conference held in Washington.
Officials also informed the prime minister on the ongoing reform process within FBR, particularly at Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL). The briefing highlighted that the new digital security measures introduced by PRAL include an audit vault, database protection wall, security operations centre, continuous database monitoring, and several other secure digital upgrades.
The meeting was informed that the updated digital system now has the capability to record the user’s IP address in case of any data manipulation, making tax fraud almost impossible going forward.
A fact-finding committee, established to examine the sales tax fraud that began in 2018–19, presented its findings to the prime minister. The report cited outdated systems, lack of monitoring mechanisms, and weak database security at PRAL as the primary reasons that enabled the fraudulent activity. Officials added that multiple reforms have now been implemented to address these loopholes.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed displeasure over the fraud and directed that a reputable international consultancy firm conduct a forensic audit of PRAL’s system.
Federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Dr. Musadik Masood Malik, Attaullah Tarar, Ali Pervez Malik, Bilal Azhar Kayani, the FBR chairman, and senior officials from relevant departments attended the meeting.
