Islamabad (GNP): Finance and Revenue Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb presided over a meeting at the Finance Division to take stock of the retailers’ tax scheme and consider ways to ease registration and expand the tax net. The Minister of State for Finance, the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and senior FBR officials took part.
Aurangzeb said the government is working to streamline tax procedures and help retailers meet their obligations. The scheme, he noted, offers a straightforward way for retailers to join the formal tax system and contribute to national economic growth.
Participants examined registrations and returns filed under the scheme, including how many existing taxpayers have joined and what payment rules apply. The minister stressed the need to learn from the experience of implementation and to resolve operational issues so the scheme succeeds. Filing procedures, deadlines and other practical matters were also reviewed.
The meeting discussed efforts to locate and map retailers who are not yet registered, drawing on available data and identification records. The FBR explained its work on validating data and making sure registration records correctly reflect the businesses they represent.
Aurangzeb called for a balanced approach that pairs help for taxpayers with well-documented, targeted action. He also said the scheme should not be seen as a one-year measure confined to 2026. It is meant to give small retailers a simple path into the formal system and a way to stay in it over the coming years.
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The meeting reaffirmed the goal of making compliance easier and more accessible for small retailers while gradually documenting economic activity and widening the tax base. Lasting progress, the minister said, will depend on effective facilitation and a consistent approach.
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.
