Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) UK will provide technical assistance to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) over the next three years to help build its capacity and improve tax collection to support economic integration, stability and growth.
Chairman FBR Tariq Bajwa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HMRC, UK in the presence of British High Commissioner Philip Barton and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad here on Thursday. British High Commissioner to Pakistan Philip Barton CMG OBE said, "The Government of Pakistan has committed itself to meeting ambitious targets for increasing the revenue it raises from taxation. The British Government welcomes this commitment. A State's ability to collect taxes and its citizens' willingness to pay them - in return for public services - are hallmarks of democracy. I am delighted that HMRC is providing practical assistance to the FBR to help the government meet its targets."
The UK will provide technical assistance to the FBR over the next three years to help build its capacity and improve tax collection to support economic integration, stability and growth. This technical assistance - supported by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) - will be provided by HMRC.
The FBR and HMRC will work together to help Pakistan achieve its tax targets by helping to develop skills, knowledge and other resources essential for improving its performance in tax collection. HMRC will also advise the FBR on innovative solutions and measures to improve tax enforcement and reduce opportunities for tax evasion. Specific areas of assistance include off-shore taxation, strategic communications and the use of information technology - particularly forecasting and analysing available information and assessing risk.
The UK is committed to working with the government of Pakistan - at both the federal and provincial levels - to deliver on their ambitious plans to tackle poverty by creating more jobs, transforming education, increasing the tax base, stimulating growth, and providing better services to millions of children, women, and men across Pakistan.-PR