ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that the government will not allow any political or bureaucratic interference in its move to curb smuggling, corruption, power theft and tax evasion in the country.
“No political and bureaucratic influence will be allowed to interfere with this major operation that we have to carry out together for the good of Pakistan and its 250 million people,” the prime minister said while chairing a meeting on anti-smuggling.
He said that it is very important to understand the real problems of the country and then fix them immediately to revive and stabilize the economy.
He said all stakeholders including provinces, institutions and the armed forces will have to work with the federal government to tackle one of the most important challenges of economic recovery.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that illegal trade and smuggling are the biggest problems that have badly damaged the country’s economy.
He recalled that in 2022 the coalition government had allowed the export of 250,000 tonnes of sugar, but had to withdraw its decision “because we were told that the target surplus does not reach this level”. However, according to him, the same amount of sugar was later exported to Afghanistan.
Similarly, the Prime Minister pointed out that the country had to face a loss of around Rs 400 to 500 billion annually in terms of electricity theft, while leakage, transmission losses and power losses were others.
Regarding tax revenue, he said the government’s target for this year is Rs 9 trillion. However, it has the potential to raise additional revenue of 4 trillion rupees by streamlining the tax system and curbing corruption and tax evasion.
He said the tax amounting to Rs2.7 trillion was still subject to litigation either in the tribunals or the appellate courts. According to him, the government will try its best to recover this amount.
Appreciating the Chief of Staff’s efforts in curbing power smuggling and theft, the Prime Minister said Rs 58 billion had been saved in the power sector during the nine months of the caretaker government.
Similarly, there has been a significant improvement in smuggling in the country due to the determination, will and cooperation of all the provinces and the personal commitment and interest of the Chief of General Staff, the Prime Minister added.
Apart from initiating reforms in some sectors, he said the government was also committed to supporting industry and agriculture in the country.
He informed that the government has chalked out a plan to fully digitize the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) system to increase tax revenue in the country.
He said that well-regarded and honest officers would be encouraged while the corrupt element would be discouraged. Regarding the law and order situation, the Prime Minister said that the government is determined to thwart the evil plans of the enemy.
