Department of Economics Seminar: Zehra Farooq

Dr. Zehra Farooq is a public finance economist and the current Secretary for Revenue Operations & Analysis at Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue. Her work sits at the intersection of economic theory and on-the-ground policy, focusing on how to modernize tax administration and build smarter, data-backed enforcement strategies. She has spent her career pushing for legislative and systemic changes that actually hold up in developing economies.

After earning her PhD in Economics from Tulane University as a Fulbright Scholar, she centered her research on tax compliance, audit behavior, and the practical application of machine learning in government. Today, she balances her role in the public sector with ongoing contributions to international policy forums, consistently working to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world governance.