Tax Collection from Mobile Phone Users Hits PKR 338 Billion Over Five Years

Islamabad: The Ministry of Finance has revealed that over the past five years, Pakistan has collected a staggering PKR 338 billion in advance tax from mobile phone users.
In a session of the National Assembly chaired by Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah, the details of the tax collection were presented. According to the Ministry of Finance, mobile phone users were charged taxes totaling PKR 338 billion between 2020 and 2024.
Documents shared with the Assembly revealed that in 2020, PKR 50 billion was collected, followed by PKR 55 billion in 2021, PKR 61 billion in 2022, and PKR 80 billion in 2023. In the fiscal year 2024, the government collected PKR 92 billion in advance taxes from mobile phone users.
Additionally, the Ministry of Finance forecasted that exports could reach USD 33 billion in fiscal year 2025, with remittances potentially reaching USD 33.5 billion. The IT sector is expected to see a significant increase, with a projected rise of USD 8.5 billion. It is anticipated that IT exports for the current fiscal year will amount to USD 4.2 billion.
In related news, the government also provided details about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, revealing that Pakistan has received USD 25.5 billion in CPEC-related funds from China. So far, 43 projects worth USD 24 billion have been completed with Chinese cooperation, while work continues on eight ongoing projects worth USD 795 million.