ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Imran Khan has stressed for introducing a track and trace system to avoid massive tax evasion in major sectors such as sugar, cement, fertilizers, and the tobacco industry.
Chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet in Islamabad on Tuesday, he pointed out that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been striving to bring this system over the last 15 years but every time their efforts are sabotaged.
The prime minister said that only two companies are paying taxes in the cigarette industry whilst 40 percent cigarettes are being sold in black.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the FBR had assured to roll out the track and trace system by July 2021 but now the Sindh High Court (SHC) has given a stay on it.
Imran Khan directed the Law Minister to apprise the High Court of the actual situation to get the stay vacated as the tax evasion cannot be checked without automation. He noted that due to tax evasion, we have to rely on indirect taxes which leads to the price hike.
On electoral reforms, the prime minister said that electronic voting machines have become inevitable to ensure transparency in the elections.
The prime minister said that the Federal Cabinet should regularly be updated about the progress made towards this end as well as giving the right of franchise to Overseas Pakistanis.
