Daily Times

Governance reforms in Punjab have had a positive impact on tax collection targets in the most populous province of the country. Punjab has financially performed far better than the other three provinces; Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A comparative study of revenue collection by the revenue authorities of all the four provinces shows that Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) has registered the highest collection in July-December 2020. It was not only the highest collection but was more than the collection by any other revenue authority in the country. According to the data, the Punjab Revenue Authority showed 41.9 per cent growth in half-yearly revenue collection in July-December 2020. It collected 73 billion rupees during July-December 2020 against a sum of 52 billion rupees collected during the same period in 2019.

The Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) showed 15.9 per cent growth by collecting 57 billion rupees in July-December 2020 while 49 billion rupees were collected by it during July-December 2019. Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) had collected 8 billion rupees in July-December 2019 and received 10 billion rupees in July-December 2020. It showed 29.2 per cent growth in revenue collection.

However, the Balochistan Revenue Authority (BRA) collected 6.1 billion rupees in July-December 2020 and was able to collect 6.4 billion rupees in July-December 2019; thus showing a -4.0 per cent decline in revenue collection.

The comparative study shows that revenue authorities of PTI managed Punjab and KPK provinces have shown better performance than Sindh and Balochistan provinces. Punjab’s Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht has been keenly monitoring the collection targets in the province. Furthermore, tax reforms and introduction of technology in tax collection system facilitated the common citizen while promoting ease of doing business for the corporate sector. This created a favourable environment for the people of Punjab, figures show that people today are actually willing to pay taxes as responsible citizens. Making public realise that tax collection is directly proportional to the development pace in sany province – has been Punjab Government’s biggest achievement for public financial management.

Sindh is the strong fiefdom of Pakistan Peoples Party and Karachi is the biggest revenue generation city in the country but it needs to report improvement that Punjab has achieved today. Sindh should be governed and led with the same interest in the greater public and national interest. However, one may acknowledge that the PTI government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has shown comparatively good performance in the difficult economic situation resulting due to sudden pandemic and continued Indian LoC violations, having multiple effects including additional stress on the economy.

When the PTI government came into power in 2018, it faced a plethora of challenges including poor tax collection and lack of resources to adequately provide resources for development. It also faced stiff resistance from the opposition and the media posed a tough challenge to the PTI leadership. However, one should appreciate the strategy and prudent skills of Prime Minister Imran Khan that he has been able to skillfully steer the country amid taunting internal and external challenges. The credit for this good financial performance should also be given to Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar and CM KPK Mehmood Khan.