The government has accelerated work on the Federal Board of Revenue’s National Faceless Centre, with Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb directing officials to keep the flagship tax reform on schedule while ensuring strong cybersecurity to protect taxpayer data.
Chairing a review meeting, Aurangzeb assessed progress on the implementation roadmap and operational readiness of the project, which is part of the FBR’s new Tax Operating Model aimed at making tax administration more transparent, efficient and technology driven.
Officials briefed the minister on the implementation plan, including the establishment of the Project Management Unit, governance structure, technology development and the phased rollout strategy. The meeting also reviewed timelines for the pre-pilot, pilot and nationwide implementation stages.
Aurangzeb welcomed the progress made so far and stressed the importance of close coordination between operational and technology teams to ensure smooth execution. He described the National Faceless Centre as a major reform that will modernise tax administration through digitalisation, standardised processes and greater transparency.
The meeting also reviewed the governance framework, risk management measures and progress on developing a risk engine and rules based case selection for the faceless system.
Emphasising the importance of a successful pilot phase, the finance minister said it should be used to test the new operating model, identify implementation challenges and make necessary improvements before its nationwide rollout.
He also highlighted the need for strong information security and data governance, calling for continued investment in cybersecurity and secure digital infrastructure to safeguard taxpayer information.
Aurangzeb directed officials to conduct regular progress reviews to ensure implementation milestones are met and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to successfully delivering the tax administration reform.
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