ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday granted approval for the formation of a modern and global standard digital ecosystem in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), besides giving directions for hiring of internationally renowned experts.
During a meeting to review progress on the ongoing reforms in the FBR, the prime minister observed that the economy was moving in a positive direction due to the recent reforms in FBR.
Federal ministers Muhammad Aurangzeb and Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, FBR chairman, Chief Coordinator Musharraf Zaidi, economic experts and other senior officials attended the meeting, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The meeting was briefed on the progress regarding the formation of a modern digital ecosystem aimed at centralising FBR’s data and enabling real-time monitoring of the entire value chain.
The prime minister, while chairing the meeting, emphasized that not only digitisation, but a comprehensive digital ecosystem should be established to strengthen the new system and directed that all the relevant data, from raw material production and import, to manufacturing of goods and the final consumers’ purchase, should be integrated into a single system.
The prime minister said the system should be made so effective that the entire value chain could be monitored digitally in real time. He further opined that the centralised data collected under this system should be utilised for the economic strategic decision-making.
The prime minister stressed that the goal of reducing taxes for the common man could only be achieved by increasing the tax base and ending the informal economy.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to continue the incentive scheme for the remittances of overseas Pakistanis to Pakistan. He directed the Ministry of Finance to immediately release funds for the Workers’ Remittances Incentive Scheme on priority basis.
He said, “Overseas Pakistanis are our strength and a valuable asset of Pakistan.”
“The hard-earned remittances of overseas Pakistanis play an important role in the development of Pakistan, which the entire nation, including me, values,” he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while talking to Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday, said Pakistan would continue making all out diplomatic efforts to restore supply of relief goods and food items to starving children and women in Gaza.
The two leaders in a telephonic conversation expressed deep concerns over continuous Israeli aggression against innocent Palestinians in Gaza, the PM media wing in a statement said.
The prime minister strongly condemned the suspension of supply of relief goods by Israel for Palestinians resulting in serious shortage of food items there.
Shehbaz Sharif also reaffirmed the commitment that Pakistan would continue its diplomatic and moral support to innocent people of Palestine facing Israel’s aggression. The prime minister also lauded efforts of the Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan for ensuring supply of relief goods in Gaza. “As the Pakistan government made its diplomatic efforts in the grave situation, the Alkhdimat Foundation has played its role to provide relief goods to innocent Palestinians”, he said.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that the Palestinian leaders contacted him and made an appeal that Pakistani prime minister should play his leadership role for ceasefire and provision of relief goods in Gaza. “People of Palestine and the Islamic world are attaching big hopes with Pakistan’s leadership”, he said.
The JI top leader also called upon the prime minister to establish contact with the international community while playing a leading role with regard to the Palestine issue.
Earlier, on Saturday evening, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal contacted Hafiz Naeem and apprised him of the dire conditions in Gaza caused by acute shortages of food, water, and medicine. He appealed to Rehman to relay a message to the prime minister of Pakistan on behalf of Gaza’s leadership and people. Responding immediately, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman contacted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to deliver the message. “Pakistan must act swiftly and decisively to save over two million people from starvation,” he emphasised. Rehman added that despite repeated appeals from humanitarian agencies and the UN, Israel continues to act with impunity, behaving like a ‘rogue elephant.’ He called on the government to utilize all available avenues to ensure urgent aid reaches the people of Gaza.
Meanwhile, Amir Markazi Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees Senator Hafiz Abdul Kareem called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday. The prime minister congratulated Hafiz Abdul Kareem on his recent election to the Senate seat, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
