Restaurants, marriage halls, farm houses to be monitored for tax-theft

LAHORE: The government of Punjab has planned to take numerous measures to make tax collection more efficient, aiming to tackle tax evasion, including enhanced monitoring of businesses such as wedding halls and farmhouses, and major restaurant chains.

Chairing a meeting on provincial revenue collection, Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, directed authorities to strengthen enforcement and accelerate the transition from a cash-based economy to digital payments.

The government of Punjab has decided to monitor marriage halls, marquees, farmhouses and large food chains through surveillance systems to ensure accurate reporting of transactions. Authorities say strict action will be taken against businesses found issuing forged tax receipts or concealing sale details.

The government is also considering making digital payments mandatory at large restaurants, reducing reliance on cash transactions.

The Chief Minister of Punjab also cautioned that there would be ‘zero tolerance’ for tax evasion and warned that both surveillance cameras and digital systems would be used to detect violations.

Maryam Nawaz ordered officials to present weekly reports on tax collection and sectoral mapping, while setting a revenue target of Rs. 528.5 billion for the fiscal year 2026-27.

On this occasion, the Punjab Revenue Authority’s (PRA) officials have given a briefing to the Chief Minister of Punjab on revenue collections.

Officials said that Punjab revenue collection had increased by 38 percent, rising from Rs. 250 billion to Rs. 346 billion.

They also said the PRA had expanded its operational reach from 10 districts to 26 districts across Punjab. The PRA has also established Intelligence and Investigation, Taxpayer Audit, and Legal wings.

On this occasion, Maryam Nawaz instructed officials to further enhance enforcement capacity, expand human resources, and equip the organization with modern technology.

She also directed the PRA that whenever enforcement action is taken, the reasons should be communicated clearly to the public through the media.