ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has officially abolished Saturday as a holiday across all its offices nationwide, as part of a broader strategy to enhance revenue collection efforts for the fiscal year 2024-25.
A formal directive has been issued to all Chief Commissioners, instructing them to strictly observe standard working hours and treat Saturdays as regular working days. The decision will remain in effect until June 30, 2025.
According to FBR sources, this move is a part of the institution’s commitment to achieving its ambitious revenue targets. The Board has emphasized the need for a comprehensive and focused approach to maximize tax collection and reduce the growing fiscal gap.
The directive comes at a time when the FBR is under increasing pressure to meet revenue expectations, despite a recent concession from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which allowed Pakistan to revise its annual tax collection target downward from Rs12,970 billion to Rs12,370 billion for the current fiscal year.
Despite this revision, the FBR is facing a significant shortfall, with the revenue gap reaching approximately Rs700 billion during the first nine months of FY2024-25. This persistent deficit has prompted the authority to introduce stronger administrative measures aimed at improving efficiency and accountability across tax offices.
One of the core objectives for the upcoming fiscal year is to raise the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio to 11.2%.
