Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned that corrupt Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officers will not be tolerated, directing the tax authority to accelerate reforms and improve accountability.

Chairing a weekly meeting on FBR reforms on Monday, Shehbaz ordered officials to speed up the introduction of faceless tax collection systems and strengthen transparency, staff training, accountability, and the use of technology.

The prime minister said officers and staff who improve their conduct and performance should be given a chance to reform. However, those who continue to engage in corruption or demonstrate poor performance will have no place in the tax authority, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The meeting was informed that Pakistan’s estimated tax gap had declined from 6 percent to 5 percent of gross domestic product over the past three years.

Officials also said the appointment of 957 third-party auditors had increased the FBR’s audit capacity fourfold.

Shehbaz directed the tax authority to further strengthen its capacity to address the tax gap and ensure that ongoing reforms deliver results.