PESHAWAR
The revenue of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has increased by 14 billion rupees collected from its own tax collection and sales tax on services in last three years.
Tax filing compliance has increased by 51 percent to 75 percent, while tax return increased from 18 percent to 22 percent in the last three years while the target is 50 billion rupees in the next five years.
This was disclosed by the Panelists from Finance Department and KPRA, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a two-day panel discussion here at a local hotel on Wednesday.
The objective of the panel discussion workshop is to capture the achievements so far and way forward in the governance reforms initiatives under World Bank and Multi Donors Trust Fund (MDTF) projects the Governance and Policy Project, KPRMP and SPEED.
The World Bank and partners donors’ organizations and government departments Finance Department, P&DD, KPRA, KPPRA, Excise and Taxation Department, KPITB, KPRTPS Commission, KPRTI Commission and PMRU have a Panel Discussion on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governance Reforms-Key Achievements and Way Forward: Role of Line departments and support of the projects in the improvements of the PFM.PIM and Accountability, Transparency (Citizen Centric Governance).
In the opening speech, Basharat Ahmad Additional Secretary Finance, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwasaid that today’s panel discussion on the governance reform agenda of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government was timely and holds a lot of importance for the International Partners and Government.
He highlighted five thematic areas-for effective corporate governance, financial management, revenue mobilization, public investment management and citizen centric governance in the province. He said that individual and collective efforts of all the stakeholders helped achieve a lot in governance regime in many sectors.
While congratulating the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on substantial increase in tax revenues Mr. Najy Ben Hassin Country Director World Bank Islamabad said that World Bank Pakistan has a total of 500 million dollars support in three areas namely Revenue Collection, Revenue and Expenditure and Investment and Financial Management in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There is more potential for more revenue generation, he said and revenue generation is important for better services delivery in the province.
Mr. Raymond Mahullah Task Team Leader of Governance Sector World Bank said that The World Bank is supporting the provincial government to establish E-Governance in the province to bring efficiency in the approval processes in the government. The file system will be digitized, he added and said that additional work in advancement of public sector reforms. Institutional development is like human development as human grows, developed similarly the institute is developed, he told.
The panelists Fazal Amin Shah Tax Advisor KPRA highlighted that the interventions of the MDTF helped the province increase from 44 percent to 84 percent Sales Tax on Services, 50 percent in own source revenue in 2019-22 and contributed to increasing taxpayers’ registration by 1518 in 2019-2022 with total of 19000. It also helped in improving tax collection by establishing linkages of provincial tax authorities and withholding agents. The Governance and Policy Project has given support in a campaign for taxpayers’ awareness and education, Shah said.
Aftab Ahmad, Director BOR said that digitalization of land record and service of e-stamping is being underway under the support of Governance and Policy Project and KPRMP to facilitate the general public. Digitizing the land record will held in encroachments of the government land as well as of general public private property. The process is under approval of the government and software is under installation. Iram Touqeer Public Sector Specialist World Bank Pakistan was the moderator of the event.
Nisar Ahmad Khan, MD KPPRA panelist in the thematic area procurement told that Governance and Policy Project, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has pursued an overall reform drive in various sectors of public service delivery including public sector procurements, briefly described as amendments in KPPRA Act 2012 and KP Procurement Rules 2014, Procurement Manual, Review and revamping of the Grievance Redressal Mechanism ,diploma in procurement in the IMSciences for the government officers,twelve (12) capacity building trainings ,770 district officers trained in procurement.
