ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a comprehensive strategy to address the persistent issue of over-invoicing, urging swift legal action against those involved.

According to Radio Pakistan, during a meeting in Islamabad focused on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Prime Minister expressed concern over the continued practice of over-invoicing from 2017 to 2022, citing consistent negligence by relevant authorities. He emphasized the importance of accountability, directing that individuals responsible for negligence be identified and that departmental action against them be expedited.

The meeting also included a report from a committee formed to investigate the over-invoicing issue. Prime Minister Sharif stressed that taxpayers’ money is a national trust, underscoring the need for responsible accounting. He called for the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) to become more effective, suggesting the involvement of representatives from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Intelligence Bureau.

It was also reported that the FBR has established a Centralized Price Verification Portal, which is expected to be linked with banks by the end of June.