Islamabad – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the authorities to accelerate the pace of reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
He was chairing a meeting regarding the Federal Board of Revenue in Islamabad. The PM highlighted that the initial results of the ongoing reforms in the FBR are encouraging.
He further emphasised the need for continuously improving the FBR’s capacity to address the tax gap, with a special focus on technology, effective training, transparency and accountability.
He also directed the acceleration of the implementation of a faceless system in tax collection areas.
Shehbaz Sharif said FBR officers must improve their performance in line with the expectations of the nation. He reaffirmed that the ongoing reforms are in the broader national interest and will continue without interruption.
He also directed to take indiscriminate action against corrupt elements in the FBR. He said officers and staff demonstrating improvements in their conduct and performance should be given an opportunity to reform themselves, while there would be no place in the institution for those who persist in corruption and poor performance. The meeting was briefed on the latest progress and results of the reforms underway in the FBR, covering technology, operational systems and human resources.
It was informed that the estimated tax gap has declined from six percent to five percent of GDP over the past three years as a result of the reforms.
The meeting was updated that the effective use of technology has significantly reduced the discretionary powers of FBR officers. It was told that the newly recruited FBR officers are being trained at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), while in-service training programmes are also underway for serving officers. A peer-rating system has been introduced to assess officers’ performance.The meeting was also apprised that 957 auditors have been hired on merit-based contracts as third-party auditors to enhance the FBR’s audit capacity. Their deployment has increased the Board’s audit capacity fourfold.
It was further briefed that the FBR is also undergoing extensive technology-driven restructuring, with the recruitment of specialised technical personnel and the introduction of a performance-linked incentive system.
Also, PM Shehbaz Sharif directed the restructuring of the Livestock and Dairy Development Board (LDDB). He issued these directives while presiding over a high-level meeting regarding the livestock sector in Islamabad today.
The Livestock and Dairy Development Board was established in 2007 to promote livestock breeding, increase milk and meat production, and develop the livestock sector in Pakistan.
The Prime Minister also directed that the Board be transformed into an effective and functional organization by incorporating experts from the private sector. He instructed that a plan for revamping the Board be presented as soon as possible.
Shehbaz Sharif further directed that imported livestock, housed in special bonded warehouses, be utilized for the value-addition process. He said that meat and dairy products obtained from imported livestock should be exported after value addition.The PM emphasised that the private sector should come forward for the uplift of the livestock sector. He further said that the Federal Government would establish a national-level plant for the production of modern and effective livestock vaccines, using its own resources.
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said the government would provide all possible resources and facilities to Daanish schools, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring quality education and creating new opportunities for students, teachers and the younger generation across the country through artificial intelligence (AI).
Addressing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the Ministry of Education and Gauth AI, the prime minister termed the agreement a significant step towards expanding educational opportunities and welcomed the provision of free subscriptions by the technology company.
He said the first 4,000 subscriptions being gifted by Gauth to Pakistan would help students and teachers benefit from modern educational tools. Of these, 1,000 subscriptions would be allocated to teachers associated with the government’s Daanish schools initiative.
The prime minister said the government had provided all possible facilities to students, adding that Daanish schools are magnificent educational institutions offering free education.
“There is no dearth of resources, and the government will provide all possible resources to the Daanish schools,” he said, reiterating the government’s resolve to support the institutions and their students.
Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the initiative reflected the prime minister’s vision of promoting information technology-led development and improving the education sector through modern digital solutions.
She said TikTok had made its AI technology available for Pakistan, while the paid versions of Gauth AI were being launched in Pakistan, making it the first country after the United States to receive this facility.
Regional Director of Global Public Policy at ByteDance Ltd Maria Kohan, said technology had the potential to inspire creativity, unlock opportunities and transform lives, particularly in the field of education. She said ByteDance had already been contributing to educational awareness through TikTok, adding that its dedicated STEM feed, launched in Pakistan in partnership with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, was helping young people explore educational content in new ways.
She said the launch of Gauth in Pakistan marked another step in the company’s commitment to supporting education through technology.
Gauth is an AI-powered study platform designed to make learning easier, more interactive and accessible. It offers step-by-step explanations, personalised AI tutoring and interactive study tools to help students understand concepts rather than merely find answers.
She said Gauth was already serving more than 200 million users globally and the company was pleased to bring the platform to Pakistan’s young people.
She said the MoU with the Government of Pakistan included 4,000 free subscriptions for teachers across the country, including 1,000 for teachers associated with the Daanish schools initiative. The subscriptions would provide access to AI-powered tools to support teaching and improve students’ learning experiences. In addition, Gauth would provide 180 free subscriptions for local students, she added.
