ISLAMABAD - Chairman, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Salman Siddique on Thursday said that the Tax Department has collected more revenues than its target for the first time in its history during the last fiscal year 2010-2011, as FBR collected Rs 1590.46 billion against the target of Rs 1588 billion. Addressing a Press conference late Thursday at FBR headquarters, Chairman FBR said that FBR for the first time went beyond its target of Rs 1588 billion as we achieved Rs 1590.46 billion in the year 2010-11. He was of the view that tax collection might further go up, as collection is still under process. Due to achievement, the tax to GDP ratio surged to 9.2 per cent during the last fiscal year, he added. He informed that tax to GDP ratio could be upto 9.3 per cent if we collect Rs 1600 billion, which is possible. Flanked with FBR team, Salman Siddique informed that this was a great achievement for the government. The tax collections were still under process, he added. The Chairman further said that these figures would be shared with International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the upcoming meeting. This achievement is a positive sign before negotiations with IMF, he maintained. 'The government will bring non taxpayers under the tax net for which work is already started, he said, adding, that those who paid taxes fulfil their national responsibility. The reason behind meeting this target was power given to Tax Commissioners, he said. It is worth mentioning here that the government has fixed revenue collection target at Rs 1667 billion at the eve of annual budget 2010-11, however, later it was slashed to Rs 1604 owing to the unprecedented floods in the country. But despite taking additional revenue generation measures worth Rs 53 billion, the target was once again slashed to Rs 1588 billion. The government in March through Presidential Ordinance took additional taxation measures worth Rs 53 billion which included imposition of 15 per cent flood surcharge on every income taxpayer, increase the Special Excise Duty from one to 2.5 per cent and eliminate tax exemptions on agricultural input like fertilizers, pesticides and tractors. According to the government officials and independent economists, the revenue collection target of Rs 1588 billion was also essential to achieve, as the government has fixed all economic targets of the upcoming financial year on the basis of Rs 1588 billion.