Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the ongoing digitization and reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue are yielding positive results. He was chairing a review meeting in Islamabad today on ongoing reforms in the FBR. A report of the task force constituted to address tax litigation issues was presented at the meeting.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of Task Force Chairman Shad Muhammad Khan and other members for preparing the report with dedication and hard work. He approved the action plan presented by the task force and directed that it be submitted with clear timelines. He further instructed that the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) system be made more effective for the swift resolution of tax disputes. He said this would reduce the burden on courts and ensure timely decisions in tax-related cases.

Shehbaz Sharif directed that the proposed Centralized Litigation Management System (CLMS), mentioned in the committee’s report, should be established at the earliest. He also instructed to engage competent human resources in the legal wing of the FBR as required, ensuring that merit is strictly observed in all such appointments.

During the meeting, the task force presented a six-point reform-based action plan. The plan includes the formation of case scrutiny committees, the establishment of CLMS, linking the performance reports of officers, including commissioners, with litigation outcomes, and other institutional reforms. It was informed that a specially designed digital CLMS will be developed to organize tax litigation data. The new system will improve tracking and reporting of tax disputes, facilitating their timely resolution.

It was also updated that decisions on tax disputes through the ADR forum have so far generated 24 billion rupees for the national exchequer this year.