ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister, Imran Khan , on Tuesday unveiled FBR’s Track & Trace System for sugar sector. Advisor to the PM on Finance & Revenue, Shaukat Tarin, Cabinet members, parliamentarians, federal secretaries, office bearers of Sugar Mills Association, Chairman FBR Dr. Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed and senior officers of FBR attended the ceremony.
Addressing on the occasion, the Prime Minister called the rolling out of the Track & Trace System (TTS) a watershed event in the development of Pakistan’s economy and hoped that it would lead to much-needed economic prosperity in times to come.
Prime Minister said that at the time of assuming office, the government had inherited a dismal economic situation, and was confronted with multiple challenges. “Our revenue collection system was one of the weakest in the world, with a chronically low Tax-to-GDP ratio. We were unable to effectively mobilize our own resources for the well-being of the people,” he recalled. He emphasized that the present government was committed to bringing about change, and putting Pakistan on the path of self-sufficiency and in this regard the pivotal role of FBR could not be over-emphasized.
The Prime Minister noted the present government was the first one to break the nexus of tax evaders, vested interests and mafias. He added that the vested interests resisted our drive and efforts to improve regulatory oversight of the economy despite knowing that without sound economic practices and enhanced revenue collection, we would not be able to allocate funds for human development, infrastructural improvement, health, and education sector.
The Advisor to the PM on Finance & Revenue Shaukat Tarin, while speaking on the occasion, thanked the Prime Minister for showing his keen interest and participating in the inaugural ceremony for launch of Track and Trace System on Sugar Sector. He also congratulated FBR for their persistent endeavors to launch this very important project. He also commended Sugar Mills Association for extending whole hearted cooperation for making this innovative intervention possible. “All 78 sugar mills have signed Tri-partite agreements amongst sugar mills, consortium (licensee) and FBR at Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad,” he added. He further assured the Prime Minister that through introduction of technology in tax system, FBR will be able to broaden the tax base as efforts were already afoot to collaborate with NADRA and use artificial intelligence and mathematical modelling to ascertain the potential tax return filers.
“The FBR enforcement officials will verify the validity of the stamps through different forensic instruments. Moreover, citizens of Pakistan will also be able to check and help with enforcement by reporting any fake stamps through mobile App,” he further added.
The Chairman FBR, Dr. Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, in his presentation explained the scope and significance of this high valued digital intervention. He stated that several attempts were made at introducing the Track and Trace System in Pakistan starting in 2008 and over a period of 13 years there were 5 unsuccessful attempts which failed due to lack of expertise, want of political will, corruption and other unethical practices. “The present government took a very bold step and provided FBR with strong support to implement Track and Trace System not just in Tobacco, as previously planned but added more sectors like Sugar, Cement and Fertilizers,” he added. He also informed the audience that FBR intends to expand the scope of TTS to other key sectors which include Beverages, Petroleum, Pharmaceuticals and Steel and soon a proposal in this regard will be submitted to Prime Minister for his approval.
He hoped that this key intervention in Sugar Sector shall yield more revenues, minimize human interaction between FBR and taxpayers and thus ensure ease of doing business.
He reaffirmed his resolve to maximize efforts to expand digitization to all key sectors in order to ensure transparency, plug leakages and thus maximize revenue potential. He concluded by thanking Sugar Mills Association for their cooperation in rolling out this important initiative and also appreciated the technical support provided by the licensed consortium in making this key digital intervention possible.