Pakistan has decided to restrict the foreign travel of non-filers, with the exception of those travelling for Hajj, Umrah, or educational purposes as the country presented its Rs18.9 trillion worth of budget on Wednesday.
According to the Finance Bill, the government has proposed a penalty of Rs10 million for travel agencies that fail to implement the new regulations.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the budget in a National Assembly session amid anti-Nawaz Sharif slogans from the opposition.
In his speech, he reiterated the need for digitising the Federal Board of Revenue and bringing reforms to the institution to improve tax collection.
The government has set an ambitious Rs12,970 billion tax revenue target for the FBR, which is 38 per cent more than the current fiscal year.
The Finance Bill further stated that a repeat offence of non-compliance would result in a fine of Rs20 million.
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It is worth noting that prior to this, the government had made preparations to take action against three million non-filers, which included the disconnection of their electricity and gas connections.
Media reports suggest that the government would also enforce the regulations on disconnecting the electricity and gas connections of non-filers. According to sources, the decision has been made to tighten the noose around tax evaders by leveraging tax laws.
