- Premier Shehbaz meets Yasar Güler, hails historic ties and defence collaboration with Türkiye
- Expresses satisfaction over positive trajectory of bilateral ties, reaffirming unwavering commitment to further strengthening cooperation with Turkiye in diverse fields
- Premier directs FBR to engage private sector and international auditors to identify tax evaders and boost revenue.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday emphasized the need for working towards achieving the Pak-Turkiye mutually agreed bilateral trade target of USD 5 billion through concerted efforts and highlighted Pakistan’s investor-friendly policies, inviting Turkish companies to expand their investment footprint in Pakistan, state media reported.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was talking with Turkish Minister of National Defence Yasar Güler who called on the Prime Minister Muhammad at the Prime Minister House, said a statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Tukiye Minister of National Defence Yasar Güler is currently on a visit to Pakistan as co-chair of the Pakistan-Türkiye Joint Ministerial Commission.
While warmly welcoming the Turkish defense minister and members of his delegation, the prime minister underscored the historic and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Türkiye, that are deeply rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual respect, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.
He expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to further strengthening cooperation with Turkiye in diverse fields including trade, investment, technology, and defence.
Recalling his recent interaction with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in China, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to build closer Pak-Turkiye relations through frequent engagement at all levels, including at the leadership level.
Both sides reaffirmed their strong and abiding support for each other’s core national interests and agreed to continue working closely to further elevate the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye.
The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by the prime minister in honour of the Turkish defense minister and members of the Pak-Turk Joint Ministerial Commission.
PM Shehbaz instructs FBR to trace tax-evading individuals and firms
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to rely on its own staff and also involve the private sector to trace tax-evading individuals and firms.
Chairing a session to review reforms in the FBR, the prime minister urged the institution to ensure a business-friendly atmosphere and extend maximum facilities to taxpayers.
Describing regular taxpayers as the backbone of the country’s economy, he directed the FBR to promptly finalize the Income Tax and Sales Taxpayers’ Directory to acknowledge taxpayers.
He emphasized that recognizing taxpayers and penalizing tax evaders would broaden the tax base, and directed the use of professional expertise to detect evasion and secure revenue.
PM Shehbaz also stressed the need to initiate a public awareness drive on government actions against tax evasion.
The prime minister also instructed the FBR to select top international auditors for third-party reviews of mis-declaration and under-invoicing in customs clearance, also emphasising a continuous third-party reviews to identify system flaws and further improve it.
During the briefing, the prime minister was apprised of the measures being taken to identify tax evaders, complete the Taxpayers’ Directory, and actions taken through super auditors to increase revenue.
It was informed that work on completing the Taxpayers’ Directory to honor income and sales taxpayers was progressing rapidly and a scientific auditing system had been developed for third-party reviews of misdeclaration and under-invoicing in customs clearance.
The meeting was informed that super auditors had been appointed to thoroughly review customs clearance and the risk management system to utilise its output to improve the risk management system.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Dr. Musadik Masood Malik, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ali Pervez Malik, and senior officials from relevant institutions.
