LAHORE: The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) has decided to establish an investigation and intelligence wing aimed at tightening screws on non-compliant business and tax evaders. The decision was taken at a meeting on Tuesday held under the chairmanship of the Chairman Punjab Revenue Authority, Moazzam Iqbal Sipra, to review proposals related to departmental restructuring. The meeting decided in principle to establish an “investigation and intelligence wing” to bring further improvement in performance and efficiency of the authority. Progress on establishment of a large taxpayer unit was also discussed. The chairman directed that the large taxpayer unit be made operational in January 2026. He further instructed that new units be constituted within the current month to enhance the performance and effectiveness of enforcement officers. Moreover, all commissioners were directed to complete registration targets in 11 sectors, including hotels and restaurants, within the ongoing month. The Chairman PRA also issued instructions that warning notices be issued to tax defaulter farmhouses and that businesses failing to obtain registration be sealed. He emphasized that collecting tax from the public and failing to deposit it into the government treasury constitutes a criminal offense. The chairman instructed that a daily comparative review of taxpayer growth, revenue collection and legal cases be carried out. He further directed that pending court cases be resolved on priority basis and that reforms related to revenue collection be finalized at the earliest. The meeting was attended by member support services, member legal, member audit and other senior officers of the authority. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025