Pakistan registers a million new taxpayers ahead of IMF review

Terms of $6bn loan create headwinds for growth and business confidence

Efforts by Pakistan's Federal Board of Revenue have increased the tax roll and chipped away at the country's image of being rife with tax cheats. © Reuters

FARHAN BOKHARI, Contributing writer

September 26, 2019 18:51 JST

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani tax officials have a million reasons to smile.

For the first time, they have registered one million new taxpayers over the course of a year, putting at least 2.5 million Pakistanis on the tax roll.