ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s tax regulator has launched an advanced Stock Register system to optimize tax administration and boost revenue collection, it said on Thursday, amid efforts to prevent tax evasion.

The development comes amid Pakistan’s desperate attempts at preventing tax evasion worth billions of rupees and meeting a challenging tax revenue target of Rs13 trillion ($46.66 billion) for the new fiscal year that started July 1, a near 40 percent jump from the last year. 

Pakistan last year came to the brink of a default as the economy shriveled amid political chaos, impact of 2022 floods, and decades of mismanagement. Last-minute loan rollovers from friendly countries as well as a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) saved the nation.

The situation prompted Islamabad to introduce institutional reforms, including the digitization of the FBR, to put the economy back on track as the South Asian country grappled shrinking foreign exchange reserves, high inflation, and staggering public debts.

“This robust digital infrastructure grants tax officers real-time, in-depth access to registered persons’ data, bolstering transparency and securing compliance with Income Tax (IT) and Sales Tax (ST) regulations,” the FBR said on X.

The Stock Register functions as a sophisticated information and reporting system, and empowers tax officers to make precise tax assessments and mitigate the risk of tax evasion, according to the revenue authority.

The FBR said it had also launched the Information Center 2.0 portal to enhance its capacity to strengthen the national exchequer.

“Accessible exclusively through the IRIS tax officers’ platform at FBR field formations, Information Center 2.0 features advanced filters and search functionalities, enabling swift data retrieval to support compliance and precise assessments,” it said.

“This initiative represents a pivotal advancement in tax collection efforts. It fosters robust reporting, minimizes tax evasion & strengthens resource & financial management across the business landscape, ensuring adherence to tax regulations through a centralized data ecosystem.”

Since avoiding default last year, Pakistan has reached an agreement with the IMF for a new $7 billion loan. The South Asian country is currently trying to boost trade and investment to revive its fragile $350 billion economy.