Islamabad, December 1, 2024 – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is grappling with an expanding revenue shortfall for November 2024, compounding challenges in meeting the national tax agency’s collection targets for the fiscal year. The FBR was tasked with collecting over Rs 1 trillion in November 2024. However, provisional figures indicate revenue collection reached approximately Rs 855 billion, falling short by Rs 148 billion. Officials expect this figure to rise marginally by Rs 4–5 billion upon final reconciliation and data compilation, but the gap will remain significant. During the first five months of FY 2024–25 (July–November), the FBR collected Rs 4.295 trillion against a cumulative target of Rs 4.64 trillion, reflecting a shortfall of Rs 344 billion. Despite this, year-over-year growth has been notable, with November 2024 revenues totaling Rs 851 billion compared to Rs 736 billion in November 2023, marking an increase of Rs 115 billion. Sources attribute the November shortfall to several disruptive factors, including recent political protests and government-imposed lockdowns. These events brought economic activity to a halt for nearly five days, affecting key sectors such as manufacturing, trade, and services. The protests created…