By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: A delegation of the World Bank, comprising Regional Director Mr. Michael Roggi, Manager Sylvia Solf and other members, held an important meeting with Chairman Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) Moazzam Iqbal Sipra. The meeting discussed measures to modernize Punjab’s tax system and transform it along digital lines.
Detailed discussions were held on the effective use of digital databases in tax collection and the Digital Economy Enhancement Project. The participants agreed to benefit from modern tax models and international best practices adopted by different countries.
“Digital tools will be utilized to expand the tax base and bring new businesses into the tax net,” said Chairman PRA Moazzam Iqbal Sipra. The meeting also proposed integrating data from different government departments to develop a more effective tax collection system.
“Digital data will help identify tax evasion, misappropriation and discrepancies in business records,” said Chairman PRA while the World Bank delegation emphasized that PRA’s digital monitoring and tax administration systems would be further strengthened. With the technical assistance and funding support of the World Bank, PRA and the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) will jointly develop a working plan for digital tax reforms.
“Modern technology will enable more effective utilization of data relating to tax returns, payments and business activities,” said Chairman PRA. He further said that the use of modern technology and data analytics in Punjab’s tax system would be promoted in line with international standards. “A practical roadmap for tax reforms will be developed with the technical assistance of the World Bank,” Chairman PRA added.
