{
  "id": 7446710,
  "title": "PRA to set up digital cell to curb tax evasion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/pra-to-set-up-digital-cell-to-curb-tax-evasion",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-15T02:03:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40439533/pra-to-set-up-digital-cell-to-curb-tax-evasion"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) in Lahore has announced plans to establish a Digital Central Monitoring Cell with the goal of enhancing oversight of tax payments and reducing tax evasion in the province. According to a spokesperson for the PRA, the new cell will continuously monitor tax payments and business records, with a specific focus on companies within the services sector, particularly local and international food chains. These businesses will undergo rigorous digital scrutiny, which includes a detailed comparison of their digital and cash payment records. The aim is to identify instances of underreported sales, falsified records, and understated tax liabilities.\n\nIn addition to scrutinizing digital records, the PRA will also examine discrepancies between the actual scale of business activity and the figures declared for tax purposes. By cross-referencing financial data from various sources, the authority aims to flag potential cases of tax evasion. The PRA will check tax returns, payments, and declared business activity against one another to ensure consistency. Both digital and cash transactions will be included in the new monitoring framework.\n\nThe spokesperson for the PRA emphasized the authority's commitment to deploying digital technology on a broad scale to prevent tax evasion and fraudulent practices. This initiative is part of a larger effort to strengthen enforcement and ensure accurate tax collection from the services sector.",
  "summary": "LAHORE: The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) has announced plans to set up a Digital Central Monitoring Cell to strengthen oversight of tax payments and curb tax evasion in the province. A PRA spokesperson said the new cell would continuously track tax payments and business records across the services sector with a particular focus on local and international food chains. These businesses will…",
  "key_points": [
    "Punjab Revenue Authority to create Digital Central Monitoring Cell.",
    "Cell to monitor tax payments, scrutinize business records.",
    "Focus on services sector, especially food chains, to curb evasion."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Punjab Revenue Authority's planned Digital Central Monitoring Cell marks a significant escalation in its use of digital oversight to curb tax evasion, particularly targeting the services sector.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}