LAHORE: The Punjab government has launched a province-wide crackdown on tax evasion and fraudulent invoicing, approving measures to install surveillance cameras at commercial venues and promote digital payments to improve tax collection.

The decisions were taken during a provincial revenue meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who directed authorities to take strict action against businesses involved in issuing fake receipts or underreporting sales.

Under the new strategy, surveillance cameras will be installed at marriage halls, marquees, farmhouses and major restaurant chains to monitor commercial transactions.

The government is also considering making digital payments mandatory at large restaurants to reduce cash-based transactions and curb tax evasion.

“There will be zero tolerance for tax evasion; the eye of the camera will watch, and the digital system will catch offenders,” Maryam Nawaz said, adding that Pakistan should move towards a digital economy in line with global trends.

The Punjab government has set a revenue collection target of Rs528.5 billion for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

To monitor performance, the chief minister directed the relevant departments to submit weekly reports on sector-wise mapping and tax collection.

Officials of the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) informed the meeting that revenue collection had increased by 38 per cent to Rs346 billion, compared with Rs250 billion during the previous fiscal year.

The meeting was told that the PRA has expanded its operations from 10 to 26 districts and established dedicated intelligence, investigation, taxpayer audit and legal wings to strengthen enforcement.

Maryam Nawaz directed the authority to increase its enforcement staff and adopt modern technology to plug revenue leakages.

She also instructed the PRA’s media wing to publicly share the findings and reasons behind enforcement actions to improve public awareness about tax compliance.