Pakistan seeks to learn from UAE’s taxation system

Dubai: In a significant step toward enhancing bilateral cooperation in governance and public sector innovation, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, met on Monday with Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange, in Dubai.

During the meeting, Ambassador Tirmizi expressed deep appreciation for the UAE’s commitment to partnership and knowledge sharing and acknowledged the enduring fraternal relations between the two nations. He commended the UAE’s visionary leadership for creating a global model of inclusive growth, which continues to support and empower a diverse expatriate community, including a large and dynamic Pakistani diaspora.

Advanced tax automation systems 

A key highlight of the discussion was Pakistan’s intent to draw lessons from the UAE’s advanced tax administration and automation systems. Ambassador Tirmizi conveyed Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s strong interest in leveraging the UAE’s experience to reform Pakistan’s tax collection infrastructure, improve efficiency, and broaden the domestic tax base.

The Ambassador said that the initiative aligns with the Prime Minister’s directive to actively pursue knowledge-based partnerships that enhance state capacity and fiscal governance.

Delegation visit

According to Pakistan Embassy press handout, the conversation took place in the context of a high-level visit by a Pakistani government delegation led by Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Minister of State for Finance and Railways and Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit. The delegation is participating in an intensive two-day experience-sharing program, engaging with various UAE ministries and institutions on public service delivery, digital innovation, and institutional competitiveness.

Public sector efficiency

Abdulla Nasser Lootah reaffirmed the UAE’s readiness to support Pakistan in its reform efforts, particularly in the domains of public sector efficiency, governance, and taxation.

He acknowledged Pakistan’s potential and welcomed initiatives that promote mutual learning and collaborative problem-solving for shared development goals.

Both sides agreed that structured experience exchange programs are vital to institutional strengthening and that Pakistan's efforts to modernize its tax system can benefit immensely from the UAE’s best practices in automation, compliance, and digital transformation.