But first, he is banking on improved technology to allow the government to tap existing financial databases to help identify tax dodgers in a nation where less than 1 percent of the population even files income tax returns. "Reforming the tax system in a country like ours is a gigantic task," said Yousuf Nazar, a former head of emerging market equity investments at Citigroup in London and author of a book on Pakistan's political economy. "Powerful interests in the establishment, big business and large land owners are not serious about tax reform. We need action," he said.Key tax reforms kicked off last week when Khan's cabinet separated tax policy from revenue collection. "All this money is handed in cash under the table, and that's something we want to make difficult."

Source: Economic Times November 16, 2018 09:45 UTC