Government plans to empower FBR to monitor assets of government officials

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is preparing to introduce a new digital system to monitor the assets and financial records of government officials, under which the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will be able to check the assets of those officers whose wealth appears to be more than their declared income.

The development came in a briefing given to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, where top officials of the Establishment Division presented details of the proposed system to improve transparency and accountability in government institutions.

According to officials, the government plans to introduce an artificial intelligence (AI)-based monitoring system that will identify unusual increases in the assets and wealth of government officials. Under the system, automatic “red flag” alerts will be issued in case of suspicious financial activity or unusual asset increases.

Establishment Division Secretary Nabil Awan told the committee that the move is part of a broader reform plan to increase transparency in government institutions and reduce the risks of corruption.

Under the proposed system, all officers from Grade 17 to Grade 22 will have to submit digital declarations of their assets and financial details. This digital system is being developed in collaboration with the FBR and is expected to be operational from December 2026.

Officials told the committee that if an officer’s asset declarations for three consecutive years show unusual differences or unexplained increases, the FBR will be able to initiate a detailed audit or investigation.

The committee was informed that this new digital system will promote transparency in government institutions and make the accountability process more effective with the help of modern technology and data analytics.

The Senate committee stressed that along with accountability, the privacy of government employees must also be ensured.

The government plans to formally implement the system next year after finalising the digital declaration platform and related rules and regulations in the next few months.

According to experts, if this system is implemented with appropriate safeguards, transparency and privacy principles, it can increase financial oversight and public confidence. However, some observers say that clear rules will be necessary to avoid the automated system falsely classifying legitimate investments or legal income as suspicious.