FBR orders textile mills to install surveillance cameras from July 1
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ISLAMABAD – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday issued a final warning to textile mill owners, directing them to install surveillance cameras at their facilities before July 1 as part of its efforts to strengthen tax monitoring and documentation. The FBR sources said that around 180 textile mills have been instructed to complete the installation of cameras at their own expense. The authorities warned that mills failing to comply with the directive will be treated as non-operational for regulatory purposes. The sources said the move is part of the tax authority’s broader strategy to improve transparency in industrial production and revenue collection. The FBR has already implemented similar monitoring systems in sugar mills, cement plants and fertilizer factories. Earlier, FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial said the tax authority would continue taking measures to improve compliance and expand the tax base. Speaking during a television programme, Langrial clarified that traders could not assume that paying a fixed amount of Rs25,000 exempted them from all tax obligations. He said the FBR would initiate audit proceedings against traders whose declared income did not match their lifestyle and spending patterns. According to the chairman, individuals living beyond their reported earnings would be required to explain their sources of income and business activities. Langrial said traders with larger sales volumes were legally required to pay taxes according to applicable rates and existing tax laws. He added that millions of individuals were currently not paying taxes in line with their actual income. The FBR chief acknowledged that the super tax imposed on the corporate sector was not an ideal measure but said it had been introduced under challenging fiscal circumstances. He reiterated that the FBR’s focus remained on strengthening enforcement, improving documentation and ensuring a fair tax system by bringing more individuals and businesses into the ta