Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized the positive outcomes resulting from the ongoing digitization and reform initiatives within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Speaking at a review meeting concerning the FBR’s reform efforts, Sharif highlighted the advancements being made and the anticipated benefits of these changes.

According to Radio Pakistan, a report prepared by a task force aimed at addressing tax litigation issues was presented during the meeting. Prime Minister Sharif commended Task Force Chairman Shad Muhammad Khan and his team for their diligent work on the report. He gave his approval to the proposed action plan and instructed that it be implemented with specific timelines. The Prime Minister underscored the importance of enhancing the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) system to expedite the resolution of tax disputes, thereby alleviating the burden on courts and ensuring prompt decisions in tax-related cases.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the urgent establishment of a Centralized Litigation Management System (CLMS) as recommended in the task force’s report. Additionally, Sharif directed the engagement of skilled human resources in the FBR’s legal wing, with a strict adherence to merit in all appointments. The six-point reform-based action plan presented by the task force includes the formation of case scrutiny committees, the establishment of the CLMS, and linking the performance evaluations of officers, including commissioners, to litigation outcomes.

During the meeting, it was revealed that a specially designed digital CLMS will be developed to organize tax litigation data, improving the tracking and reporting of tax disputes for their timely resolution. It was also reported that the ADR forum’s decisions on tax disputes have so far contributed 24 billion rupees to the national exchequer this year.