LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha claims the revenue receipts have increased by 45pc and development expenditure by 31pc in 2015-16 as a result of reforms in tax system.

In view of these achievements, a regular tax policy unit is being set up at the Civil Secretariat under the provincial finance department which will evolve effective planning for revenue mobilisation and fix target of receipts of next financial year besides ensuring enforcement of system of online receipts through other banks instead of limiting to only the National Bank of Pakistan.

The minister expressed theseviews while addressing a meeting held regarding preparation of a roadmap of tax and public finance management unit for the next financial year here on Friday.

The deputy secretary nnance informed the minister that the debt management unit had been activated in the Finance Department under a reforms agenda, while formal planning of reforms had been made functional after review in the Punjab Revenue Authority under which policy is being evolved for manual audit of taxes.

Two-way system of communication is being evolved for the provision of services to taxpayers and public-private dialogues so that an environment of confidence could be created among the people and tax collectingagencies.

Pasha said under the reforms plan in the provincial Excise & Taxation department, a third-party audit of the record of urban property has been completed in six districts.

She gave approval to the framework evolved for next year and expressed satisfaction over the steps being taken regarding improvement by the Finance Department in tax and other financial matters of the province.

She directed the ofhcers concerned to expand the internal system of IT and make its formal networking and bound tax collecting agencies at the provinciallevel to set up online complaint cells in their offices where people can register complaints, highlight their issues and other problems with regard to tax recovery.