PM calls for joint efforts to check smuggling, power theft

ISLAMABAD, (NNI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for joint efforts to check smuggling, power theft, revenue evasion and other leakages to put the country on path of economic stability.

Chairing a meeting to curb smuggling in Islamabad Friday, the Prime Minister said federal and provincial governments as well as all the institutions, including the armed forces, should join hands in preventing massive leakages in revenue, electricity and gas sectors. He said smuggling and illegal trade have adversely affected country's economy.

He said that the government will not allow any political or bureaucratic interference in its move to curb smuggling, corruption, power theft and tax evasion in the country.

"No political and bureaucratic influence will be allowed to interfere in this major surgery which we have to undertake collectively for the good of Pakistan and its 250 million people," the prime minister said.

He said it was very important to understand the real challenges of the country and then immediately fix them to revive and stabilize the economy.

For this, he said all stakeholders including the provinces, institutions, and armed forces will have to collaborate with the federal government to tackle one of the most important challenges of revival of economy.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said illegal trade and smuggling were the biggest challenges that had badly dented the country's economy.

He recalled that in 2022, the coalition government allowed export of 250,000 tons of sugar, but it had to withdraw its decision "because we were told that the surplus target was not up to that level". However, he said the same amount of sugar was later exported to Afghanistan.

Similarly, the prime minister pointed out that the country had to face loss of around Rs 400 to 500 billion annually in term of power theft, whereas leakages, transmission losses and line losses of electricity were other than that.

As regards tax revenues, he said the government's target this year was Rs 9 trillion. But it has the potential of collecting Rs 4 trillion extra revenues by streamlining the tax system and by curbing corruption and tax evasion. He said a tax amount of Rs 2.7 trillion was still under litigation either in tribunals or in appellant courts. The government, he said would try its best to recover this amount.

Appreciating the efforts of Chief of Army Staff in curbing smuggling and power theft, the prime minister said during the nine months of interim government, an amount of Rs 58 billion was saved in power sector.