Pakistan hires professionals to operationalize Tax Policy Office

The Ministry of Finance in Pakistan is hiring six professionals to set up the new Tax Policy Office (TPO). This office will report directly to the finance minister and is part of a commitment made to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF is providing Pakistan with a $7 billion loan under the Extended Fund Facility. The ministry is looking for one director general and five directors with expertise in areas such as economic analysis, business taxation, and international taxation. These positions will be filled at Special Professional Pay Scales, with the director general earning a higher salary than the directors. This move aims to separate tax policy from revenue administration, which has been a long-standing goal of previous governments. The TPO will help analyze tax policies and strengthen Pakistan's international tax obligations. By doing so, it will allow the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to focus more on collecting taxes. The establishment of the TPO was delayed but is now confirmed as part of the ongoing deal with the IMF. The finance minister had assured the IMF that this office would be set up by early 2025 to improve tax collection. The notification to create the TPO came just before an IMF review mission was set to visit Pakistan.