PM calls for joint efforts to curb smuggling

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has called for joint efforts to check smuggling, power theft, revenue evasion and other leakages to put the country on path of economic stability. 

Chairing a meeting on anti-smuggling, he said federal and provincial governments as well as all the institutions, including the armed forces, should join hands in preventing massive leakages in revenue, electricity and gas sectors.

PM reconstitutes CCI, excludes finance minister

“No political and bureaucratic influence will be allowed to interfere in this major surgery which we have to undertake collectively for the good of Pakistan and its 250 million people,” the prime minister said.

He said it was very important to understand the real challenges of the country and then immediately fix them to revive and stabilize the economy.

For this, he said, all stakeholders including the provinces, institutions, and armed forces will have to collaborate with the federal government to tackle one of the most important challenge of revival of economy.

Prime Minister Sharif said that illegal trade and smuggling were the biggest challenges that had badly dented the country’s economy.

He recalled that in 2022, the coalition government allowed export of 250,000 tons of sugar, but it had to withdraw its decision “because we were told that the surplus target was not up to that level”. However, he said, the same amount of sugar was latter smuggled to Afghanistan.

Similarly, the prime minister pointed out that the country had to face loss of around Rs400 to Rs500 billion annually in term of power theft, whereas leakages, transmission and line losses of electricity were other than that.

Talking about tax revenues, he said that the government’s target this year was Rs9 trillion but it has the potential of collecting Rs4 trillion extra revenues by streamlining the tax system and by curbing corruption and tax evasion.

He said a tax amount of Rs2.7 trillion was still under litigation either in tribunals or in appellant courts.

The government, he said, would try its best to recover this amount by overhauling the tribunals and changing their current structure.

Appreciating the efforts of the army chief in curbing smuggling and power theft, the prime minister said during the nine months of interim government, an amount of Rs58 billion was recovered in power sector.

Similarly, a significant improvement was witnessed in curbing smuggling in the country due to the commitment, will to do, and cooperation of all provinces, and the personal commitment and interest of the army chief, the prime minister said.

Besides taking reforms in certain sectors, he said, the government was also committed to promoting industry and agriculture sector in the country.

He said that the government had chalked out a plan to fully digitize the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to boost tax revenues.

He said the well-reputed and honest officers will be encouraged while the corrupt elements will be discouraged and action will be taken against them.

Talking about the law and order situation, the prime minister said the government was determined to foil the evil designs of the enemy.