Punjab plans camera monitoring and digital payments to curb tax evasion

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to install surveillance cameras at marriage halls, marquees, commercial farmhouses and major food chains as part of a plan to monitor business transactions and check tax evasion.

The decision was taken at a meeting on provincial revenue chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday, where officials briefed participants on levy collection and the performance of the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA). According to the briefing, every transaction at large food chains, marriage halls and commercial farmhouses will be recorded and monitored.

Officials told the meeting that businesses found issuing fake receipts or hiding sales would face strict action. The chief minister also directed the relevant authorities to submit weekly reports on tax collection and sectoral mapping, while ordering a gradual shift away from cash-based dealings toward digital payment systems.

The meeting also reviewed the possibility of introducing digital payment facilities at major restaurants to replace cash transactions and improve transparency and documentation of economic activity. Referring to the proposed move, Maryam Nawaz said Pakistan should also be able to transition toward digital payments.

Revenue targets and PRA expansion

During the meeting, officials said a revenue target of Rs528.5 billion had been set for fiscal year 2026-27. They said Punjab's revenue collection had risen by 38 per cent, from Rs250 billion to Rs346 billion.

Participants were informed that the PRA's operational footprint had been expanded from 10 districts to 26 districts across Punjab. Officials also said the authority had created dedicated Intelligence and Investigation, taxpayer audit, and legal wings to strengthen enforcement and compliance.

Expressing satisfaction with the authority's performance, the chief minister directed officials to further improve its enforcement, human resource and technological capacity. She also instructed the PRA to strengthen awareness campaigns aimed at encouraging tax compliance. Maryam Nawaz said that whenever enforcement action is taken, the reasons for it should be explained to citizens in a comprehensive and transparent manner.

Polio samples from 19 districts test negative

In a separate meeting, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz praised the health department, international partners and the provincial polio eradication team after the World Health Organisation confirmed that environmental samples collected from 19 districts of Punjab had tested negative for poliovirus.

The negative samples were reported from Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Attock, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Jhang, as well as Khanewal, Mianwali, Okara, Rajanpur, Rawalpindi, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha and Sialkot.