Islamabad (GNP): British High Commissioner Jane Marriott CMG OBE said: “Digital Eye is a strong example of the UK and Pakistan working together to deliver practical change. Built in Pakistan and now operated nationwide by the FBR, it shows how innovation can be scaled to strengthen tax compliance, support fair competition and improve transparency. The UK is proud to have supported that journey through technical expertise, whilst helping build the institutional capability needed to sustain it.”
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott visited FECTO Cement alongside senior FBR officials to see the technology in operation. During the visit, they toured the production line, observed the monitoring system and received a briefing on how the technology is supporting tax administration reforms.
The Digital Eye system is now tracking production at all 27 cement factories in Pakistan, helping the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) strengthen tax compliance and improve revenue collection for public services.
The system, first piloted in 2023, uses advanced video analytics to monitor production lines in real time, providing factories and the FBR with an independent record of production. Working alongside FBR’s existing Track and Trace System, it gives tax authorities greater visibility of output while reducing reliance on manual inspection and paperwork.
Dr. Najeeb Ullah, Chief Reforms & Modernization, at the FBR said: ” The results speak for themselves. Real-time production monitoring has already strengthened compliance in cement and sugar, and it has done so without adding to the burden on compliant taxpayers. Our focus now is on consolidating what we have built, improving accuracy, deepening the skills of our own teams, and extending the system to further sectors. Accurate production data protects the businesses that declare honestly and we are grateful to the UK for its technical support through REMIT, and we intend to take this approach into further sectors.”
Developed by a Pakistani technology company, the solution was tested, refined and rolled out nationwide with UK technical support. The project demonstrates how Pakistani innovation can be scaled through international partnership to deliver reforms at national level.
The technology and the wider reform behind it are also attracting interest from countries across Africa, which are looking to Pakistan’s experience for lessons on modernising tax compliance.
The system complements FBR’s existing Track and Trace System. While Track and Trace records products leaving the production line, Digital Eye independently monitors production through AI-powered video analytics, allowing the two systems to be cross-checked and increasing confidence in reported output.
UK support has also helped the FBR build the capability to operate, maintain and further develop the system independently. What began as a pilot project has since expanded into a nationwide system covering all 27 cement factories in Pakistan and has been extended to the sugar sector. There are further plans to extend the approach to additional sectors.
Also read: Malik Calls for Integrated National System to Monitor Glaciers
The Government of Pakistan has reported that wider reforms helped recover Rs 32 billion from the cement sector and increased recorded sugar production by 31 per cent during the most recent crushing season. These results reflect a range of policy and compliance measures, of which Digital Eye forms one part.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
