LAHORE — The Government of Punjab, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has unveiled a comprehensive strategic plan to clamp down on tax evasion and modernize the provincial revenue collection framework for the upcoming fiscal year 2026-27.
Chairing a high-level revenue review meeting, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz set an ambitious provincial revenue target of Rs 528.5 billion. To achieve this, the administration is launching an aggressive enforcement campaign specifically targeting high-revenue service sectors, including wedding halls, luxury marquees, commercial farmhouses, and major restaurant chains. These businesses will be placed under advanced digital surveillance systems to monitor transactions in real time, preventing the concealment of sales and the issuance of forged tax receipts.
Furthermore, the Punjab government is moving to mandate digital payments at all large-scale restaurants to accelerate the transition away from a cash-based economy. The Chief Minister issued a strict “zero tolerance” warning against tax evasion, ordering the integration of surveillance cameras and digital tracking software to detect financial discrepancies. The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) has been directed to submit weekly progress reports on tax collection and ongoing sectoral mapping.
During the session, PRA officials briefed the Chief Minister on the department’s recent performance metrics, highlighting a substantial 38 percent increase in revenue collection, which climbed from Rs 250 billion to Rs 346 billion. Additionally, the PRA has expanded its operational footprint from 10 districts to 26 districts across Punjab, alongside establishing specialized new wings, including Intelligence and Investigation, Taxpayer Audit, and Legal departments. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz instructed officials to further boost human resources, deploy modern technology, and ensure that the public is clearly informed via the media whenever enforcement actions are taken.
