The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) and the World Bank have agreed to develop a digital framework aimed at modernising the provincial tax system and expanding the tax base.
A World Bank delegation, led by Regional Director Michael Roggi and Manager Sylvia Solf, held a meeting with PRA Chairman Moazzam Iqbal Sipra to discuss digital reforms in tax administration and revenue collection.
The meeting focused on improving the use of digital databases, strengthening tax collection mechanisms and advancing the Digital Economy Enhancement Project.
The participants also discussed adopting modern taxation models and international best practices to improve the efficiency of Punjab’s revenue system.
PRA Chairman Moazzam Iqbal Sipra said digital tools would be used to identify businesses outside the existing tax network and bring them into the formal tax system.
The meeting also considered linking databases maintained by different government departments to create a more integrated tax collection mechanism. According to the PRA, access to digital data could help identify tax evasion, discrepancies and irregularities in business records.
The World Bank delegation stressed the need to further strengthen the PRA’s digital monitoring and tax administration systems.
With technical and financial assistance from the World Bank, the PRA and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) will jointly prepare a roadmap for digital tax reforms.
Sipra said modern technology and data analytics would enable more effective use of information related to tax returns, payments and business activities.
He added that Punjab would promote technology-driven tax administration in line with international standards, while a practical roadmap for tax reforms would be developed with World Bank assistance.
