The Federal Board of Revenue has constituted a Media Coordination Unit to coordinate, oversee, and implement the tax authority’s strategic communication initiatives, according to a notification issued on October 8, 2026. The unit has been established with the approval of the FBR Chairman and the Strategic Resource Division Chairman, with immediate effect, and is tasked with improving public awareness of tax policies, reforms, facilitation measures, and public service initiatives across the country.
The Director General of Taxpayer Services will serve as coordinator of the unit, while the Secretary for Media will act as its secretary. The notification names Irfan Javed, Director General of Communications and Public Relations for Customs, and Dr. Misbah Khatana, Director of Communications and Public Relations for Customs, as ex officio members. Other members of the unit include the Chief of Taxpayer Services, Secretary of Tax Education, Shalra Ashfaq Khan as Chief of Reforms and Automation for Customs, Dr. Zehra Farooq as Special Assistant to the Member for Strategic Transformation, and Israr Ahmed Cheema as Secretary of the Enforcement Plan for Inland Revenue. The unit also includes Muhammad Nouman as Second Secretary for Media and Special Assistant to the Member for Income Tax Policy, along with the Second Secretary for Facilitation.
According to its terms of reference, the Media Coordination Unit will work to project FBR as a public service-oriented institution that facilitates taxpayers and businesses through awareness, education, and outreach. It will ensure the timely dissemination of information on tax policies, reforms, facilitation measures, and public service programs, while also obtaining weekly inputs from FBR wings and recommending measures to build public trust and encourage voluntary tax compliance. The unit will maintain three structured internal registers: an achievement bank documenting FBR’s positive milestones, a negative narrative bank tracking critical public perceptions and media narratives, and a media risk register to anticipate and address reputational challenges before they escalate.
The establishment of the Media Coordination Unit reflects a recognition within FBR that strategic communication is as important as operational reform in changing public perception of the tax authority. FBR has long been associated with a difficult taxpayer experience, and initiatives aimed at improving voluntary compliance depend heavily on citizens and businesses viewing the institution as approachable, transparent, and genuinely focused on facilitation rather than enforcement alone. By formalizing a dedicated communication structure with clear terms of reference and a cross-functional membership drawn from different parts of the organization, FBR is signalling that its public engagement effort will be systematic and sustained rather than reactive and ad hoc.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
