ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foremost telecom and digital services provider, Telenor Pakistan, has emerged as one of the highest taxpaying private sector telecom companies in the country, as per the latest Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) tax directory stats. With Rs 3,020,783,526 paid in financial year ended December 2014 in lieu of corporate income tax, which is one of the highest of all private sector telecom companies, Telenor Pakistan has contributed a total of Rs 236 billion so far in direct and indirect taxes since its inception, always staying in the country’s top taxpayers list. The company has unceasingly paid its taxes responsibly, including the withholding tax of $39.5 million (Rs 4.13 billion) in its latest 4G Spectrum acquisition. Taxes are not the only way Telenor Pakistan has contributed to the country’s socioeconomic development. The company has proactively taken dozens of initiatives to achieve its goal of empowering the Pakistani society through digital and financial inclusion of the masses, promoting entrepreneurship via accelerator and incubator programmes, encouraging and supporting young talent in technology and other areas using structured contests and representation, promoting an inclusive working environment where people are given equal employment opportunities regardless of gender or disability, and helping women get back to work, among several other measures. “We are here with a long-term commitment with Pakistan and its people, and being the top taxpayer is just one instance of it. We will continue our efforts to empower the Pakistani society using all our core competencies and contribute the best of our resources to the country’s socioeconomic development,” said Telenor Pakistan CEO Irfan Wahab Khan.