Short headlines on Pakistan tax law, FBR notifications, PSEB updates, and State Bank withholding changes - capped at 60 characters so you can skim the whole feed in under a minute.
FBR officers and trade association reps will jointly visit markets across all four provinces to register shopkeepers under the Asaan Tax Scheme. Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani said 50 'green plate' shops now enjoy exemption from routine FBR inspections.
FBR has received just 181 simplified returns worth PKR 18m under the Asaan Tax Scheme, out of an estimated 3.5m operating retailers. About 5,000 have registered via the app; only 50 'green plate' shops earn an inspection exemption as the 30 September 2026 filing deadline nears.
SECP has issued draft rules tightening bid, performance, advance-payment and customs guarantees issued by insurers, adding stricter solvency assessments and clearer claim-payment obligations. The framework aims to cut contractual uncertainty and litigation in construction and trade.
SECP Chairman Kabir Ahmed Sidhu launched an 'Insured Pakistan' digital platform, flagging that only 0.85% of insurance premiums flow through digital channels despite the sector holding PKR 4tn in assets. He noted about 97% of vehicles run without mandatory third-party motor cover.
Punjab has amended its Private Educational Institutions Act to reclassify home-based tuition centres and small academies as commercial enterprises. Properties and utility connections face commercial tariffs and provincial taxation, drawing objections from the private schools association.
SBP has completed its inaugural regulatory sandbox cohort (Jan-Jun 2026), greenlighting four remittance and open-banking solutions from Taptap Send UK, UBL, Digi Khata, Swich Retail and Neem. Participants must still secure separate SBP authorisation before commercial launch.
The FIA is investigating 108 companies for allegedly abusing FATA/PATA import exemptions on goods worth PKR 1,120bn - cooking oil PKR 371bn, steel PKR 214bn, textiles PKR 174bn, tea PKR 65bn - diverted into Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan markets instead of the exempt tribal zones.
FBR paid out PKR 197bn in tax refunds during July-August FY27, PKR 40bn above the same period last year. The IMF has capped annual refunds at PKR 390bn against last year's PKR 500bn; the Senate Standing Committee on Finance has requested ten years of refund records.
SBP-held foreign exchange reserves rose USD 1.2bn in the week ended 4 September 2026 to USD 18.3bn. Total liquid reserves reached USD 23.7bn including USD 5.4bn at commercial banks, giving Pakistan roughly 2.74 months of import cover ahead of scheduled IMF disbursements.
FBR collected PKR 1.72tn in July-August FY27, PKR 12bn above the cumulative two-month target, despite a PKR 28bn shortfall in August alone (PKR 902bn vs PKR 930bn target). Refunds climbed to PKR 155bn from PKR 124bn a year earlier, cutting the net take.
FBR has mandated that all officers and employees declare any foreign citizenships, passports, travel documents and marriages to foreign nationals. The 90-day submission window closed on 30 August 2026, with non-compliance triggering civil service disciplinary action.
PM Shehbaz Sharif has directed FBR field officials to visit Karachi monthly for structured engagements with the business community, aimed at resolving compliance grievances, lifting investment and improving transparency ahead of the 30 September 2026 filing deadline.