The federal government has moved ahead with a Rs. 57.1 billion project to transform the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) administration and increase the taxpayer base.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) recommended the Transforming and Digitalizing Revenue Administration (TADRA) Project to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
The project is proposed to be financed through foreign funding under Asian Development Bank technical assistance through a soft-term loan.
During the meeting, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stressed that the project must have clearly defined and measurable outcomes, particularly in terms of additional revenue, improvement in the tax-to-GDP ratio and expansion of the taxpayer base.
FBR told the forum that the investment would help raise Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio to 13.5 percent by 2029 and bring more taxpayers into the formal tax system.
CDWP recommended the project to ECNEC with a condition that the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) thoroughly review its business model.
Separately, the CDWP approved a Rs. 5.01 billion project for expanding commercial-scale olive cultivation in Pakistan. The initiative will focus on expanding olive farms in Balochistan and newly merged districts, while the minister directed that the potential of the Potohar region also be incorporated.
A Rs. 5.76 billion project to revamp facilities at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad was also approved. The work includes rehabilitation of existing facilities, electrical systems, HVAC, plumbing and firefighting infrastructure, along with new security and surveillance systems.
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