PTA Seeks Halt to FBR’s Digital Monitoring System for Tanneries
PTA says the proposed system duplicates existing compliance procedures, raises operating costs and gives tanneries insufficient time to implement the requirements.
LW Desk
The Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) has urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to halt the implementation of the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) proposed digital production monitoring system for the leather industry, warning that the measure could increase compliance costs and place an additional burden on exporters.
In a statement, PTA Chairman Muhammad Azam Malik criticized the short implementation timeline set by the FBR, saying a notification issued on October 7 required tanneries to install the system by October 15, 2026, leaving the industry with insufficient time to meet the deadline.
Malik argued that the industry already maintains extensive records of production, sales and export transactions through established mechanisms, including the Pakistan Single Window, Goods Declarations, commercial invoices, banking records, sales tax returns and income tax filings.
He said the proposed monitoring system would duplicate existing documentation and compliance procedures, potentially increasing operational expenses and complicating business activities for leather exporters.
The PTA has called on the government to review the proposed measure and reconsider its implementation, stressing the need to avoid additional regulatory pressures on the tanning sector.
