Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) and Mahboob-ul-Haq Research Center (MHRC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in a ceremony held at PRA Headquarters on Friday where under a team of researchers from top international universities including Harvard University, Columbia University, London School of Economics (LSE) and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) will collaborate with PRA and prepare research reports aimed at identifying gaps in tax policy and administration and recommending measures to help PRA achieve its true potential.
The MOU is a step towards Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht’s vision of ensuring that tax policy and administration is evidence-based and founded on empirical research.
The scope of work under the MOU includes research on the Punjab Infrastructure Development Cess (PIDC), a detailed technical performance evaluation of PRA, development of research questions for fiscal policy formulation, litigation management and optimizing tax rates.
The research is planned to be completed by the end of the financial year 2022-23. The research will enable PRA in optimizing revenue collection, optimize performance, improve integrity and develop better workflows. Moreover, it is also expected to assist the Government of Punjab in taking sound policy decision to maximize revenue with minimum distortionary effects.
