PRA to set up digital cell to curb tax evasion

According to Business Recorder, the Punjab Revenue Authority plans to create a Digital Central Monitoring Cell aimed at tightening oversight of tax payments and reducing evasion across the province. A PRA spokesperson said the unit will keep watch on tax payments and business records in the services sector, with particular attention to local and international food chains.

Under the framework, these businesses will face detailed digital scrutiny, including side-by-side checks of digital and cash payment records. The objective is to identify underreported sales, falsified books and understated tax liabilities.

The authority will also measure real business volume against what firms report for tax, matching returns, payments and declared activity against each other, with digital and cash transactions both falling under the monitoring. The spokesperson added that the PRA is committed to wide use of digital technology to prevent evasion and fraud, as part of a wider push to tighten enforcement in the services sector.