Lahore, December 9, 2025: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday called on the federal government to transfer the responsibility of collecting sales tax on goods to the provinces, arguing that provincial administrations have shown stronger revenue performance compared to the Centre.
Addressing a ceremony at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) in Lahore, Bilawal said, “After the 18th Amendment, provinces collected sales tax on services, which improved revenue, and Sindh’s performance has been far better than other provinces.”
He claimed there is currently a Rs3 trillion leakage in sales tax on goods collected by the federal government and suggested a performance-based approach: “If provinces fail to meet targets, deduct our share, but if we exceed targets, provinces must receive the additional amount.” He stressed that addressing the federal government’s economic challenges is “the responsibility of all of us.”
Bilawal also criticised previous governments for attempting to run the economy “with a stick,” noting that economies function better “with affection.” He emphasised the need to increase tax collection through transparency and digitisation in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), calling for the revenue authority to be transformed into a trusted institution for the business community.
Highlighting Pakistan’s growing exports, he credited GSP+ preferences for an 80% rise in exports to Europe and urged traders to further boost export performance.
Bilawal added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif supports resolving the business community’s issues but contrasted their approaches, saying, “The PM believes in centralisation, whereas we [PPP] believe in decentralisation.”
The PPP chairman also called for green solutions for subsidised electricity units and stressed the need to address load-shedding. He assured traders that the party “will continue playing its role” in resolving their concerns.
