The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) reported an estimated annual tobacco tax theft of Rs40 million to a Senate sub-committee on Thursday during an official briefing.
This disclosed figure stands far below the public claim of one million dollars or roughly Rs280 million previously advertised by the federal government across Pakistan.
Senator Saifullah Abro questioned the major discrepancy in public awareness campaigns and directed officials to correct the advertisements after informing the prime minister about it.
Officials from the revenue board admitted they were entirely unaware of the nationwide anti-tax theft campaign currently being run by the federal information ministry.
The committee heard that enforcement agencies successfully seized 16 tobacco factories on charges of tax fraud while also examining misuse of various tax-exempt raw materials.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) also briefed the panel regarding a specific ongoing case involving the theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from the local market.
Senator Abro demanded strict action including potential arrests against all involved individuals even if senior tax officials are found responsible for the revenue losses.
