The federal government of Pakistan sets revenue collection target of Rs 9,415 billion for fiscal year 2023-24. The budgetary targets are ambitious but achievable by exploring un-chartered territories. FBR has undertaken number of reforms and made automated its business processes in an efficient manner; it has also experimented simplified tax assessment but the tax to GDP ratio remained stagnant as certain contributors to the economy fall outside the federal ambit. Therefore, a fundamental transformation is required in the tax cosmos.
FBR has introduced a number of transformation measures, both kinetic and non-kinetic, to enhance revenue and improve tax compliance. However, not all have materialized in significant results as there is a need for mindset change on both the demand and supply side of the tax equation to promote a more sustainable system of tax collection.
This op-ed series attempt to explore new tax themes in different areas including Value Added Tax (VAT), income tax, sales tax, federal excise duty as well as provincial taxes and also explore the potential revenue in some unchartered territories.
Starting with the phenomenon of under-invoicing, it is commonly observed that certain importers resort to giving arranged consensus value at import stage like in steel and iron sector. The reference values therefore become arranged for customs appraiser as per law. This cartelization of values needs to be addressed through elaborate post clearance audit mechanism.
There have been many recent measures toward making trade facilitation more effective, deeper and broad based. As part of that drive, export clearance through green channel increased to above 90%. Similarly, import clearance through green channel was enhanced to a level of 67%. Both need to be further raised to higher levels of green channels, to ensure uninterrupted, nonintrusive and data-based clearance without human physical intervention. As a major initiative to international standards, more than 10% imports have begun to be assessed virtually. This ration needs to be enhanced to 20%, at least during upcoming fiscal year. During last quarter of FY-2022-23, units of Export Facilitation Scheme (FES) were enhanced from miniscule figure of 25 units to 600 units. However, there is need to enhance it further extending to a higher number of at least 1500 units during next fiscal year.
The cartelization of values needs to be addressed through elaborate post clearance audit mechanism.
While exploring new themes for customs, there is a need to bring cellular mobile sector out of its slumber of longtime concessions and exemptions as it has capped any potential for development of local industry, even of its components. As this sector has already enjoyed bonanza and has reached a growth unparalleled to many other sectors and is largely now constituted of high consumption. Now, the state needs to develop an even and equitable digital landscape, therefore neither any exemption, concession nor any lowering of taxes would befit the sectorial growth. This needs to cover all aspects of software, hardware and services involving this sector.
Similarly, there is the case for auto sector (especially cars), which have enriched and engrossed itself from indefinite and longtime concessions and exemptions. It has also adversely affected rather than enable the local industry, as was promised by depletion program, an assumption on which such sectors initially gained ground.
Lower tariff rates have also helped grow many other sectors without promise for either enhanced returns for revenues or local industries. These sectors include food items such as juices, drinks, etc. whose raw materials, concentrates, edible dyes, etc. imported for enterprises as Nestle and Pepsi attract overwhelmingly lower tariff rates, even though they constitute big business and involve mass consumption. Similar is the case with goods as skimmed/dry milk. Interestingly, there hadn’t been any development of local industry in such sectors despite the fact that Pakistan’s dairy has enormous scope for economic returns. Imported tiles are also part of the same regime. These lower tariffs benefit certain interests rather than local industry. However, the public interest foregone through discounting in revenues required from such sectors don’t seem to be compensated and is without even future prospects.
Furthermore, import of film and entertainment market (both products and services) offers another area of potential revenue as it is highly expanding sector globally. Cinematic and streaming content has emerged as a billion-dollar economy involving multiple and growing media platforms including social media, films, others. Pakistan also imports many tele-dramas as from Turkiye, Hollywood, although such imports or broadcasting has been stopped from India. The film industry is worth an estimated $160 billion in 2021. This includes the global box office, which is expected to reach $42.5 billion this year, and the estimated value of the global film and TV industry, which is $118.6 billion. However, global film and video services market is much bigger and is estimated to around $235 billion.
To be Continued
Saud Bin Ahsen has done MPA from Institute of Administrative Sciences (IAS) Lahore and can be reached at [email protected]