Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday commended the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for achieving an unprecedented 42% increase in federal tax revenue during the fiscal year 2024–25, which is the highest growth recorded in the last ten years.

The appreciation came during a high-level weekly review meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on the FBR’s digitization and reform agenda.

Officials briefed the Prime Minister that recent reforms and the enforcement of new tax laws enabled the government to collect an additional Rs865 billion in revenue compared to the previous fiscal year.

The federal revenue-to-GDP ratio also improved, rising to 11.3%, marking a 1.5% point increase year-on-year.

PM Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that no institutional complacency would be tolerated in achieving economic targets and reaffirmed his commitment to personally oversee revenue collection and reform efforts. “All departments must perform their duties with full dedication,” he stated.

He instructed the FBR to treat all taxpayers with dignity and urged all public sector institutions to extend full cooperation with the revenue authority. The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of broadening the tax base through digitalisation and stricter enforcement.

Among the key directives issued were:

• Expansion of the Track and Trace Digital Production System to all production and distribution stages to capture untaxed output.

• Mandatory digitization of production for non-compliant businesses and industries.

• Widening the Point of Sale (POS) system in the retail sector to boost transparency and documentation.

• Ensuring continued engagement and facilitation for the business community by keeping the FBR accessible.

The Prime Minister congratulated officials on the successful passage of the federal budget for FY2025–26 and reiterated the government’s firm commitment to securing a prosperous economic future for Pakistan.

It was noted that the Track and Trace system is already fully operational in the sugar, tobacco, and fertilizer sectors, and its implementation will soon extend to cement and other industries.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, FBR Chairman, and other senior officials.