LAHORE:There is a need to eliminate corruption in tax collectors and ensure fair tax system. New Tajir Dost Scheme is a tax-trap scheme for traders. FBR always keeps pressuring corporate and salaried-class for paying tax.
These views were expressed by the discussants in Jang Economic Session on ‘Will government satisfy the IMF by launching of Tajir Dost Scheme for traders?’ The panellists were Shahid Hassan Asad, Amin Mazhar Butt, Ashraf Bhatti, Khalid Paracha and Imran Afzal while moderated by Sikandar Lodhi.
Shahid Hassan Asad said, “IMF has no compulsion whether the tax is collected or not but we have told them all means of screwing us due to our weaknesses. Despite Nadra has all information and record, but, due to fault of system, the government can't expand our tax system.
It is imperative to ensure a documented economy at all levels in practice to improve tax base. Pakistan should move towards plastic economy to broaden the tax base. This can also solve the problem of tax collectors.” Amin Mazhar Butt said that current state of economy is due to the wrong policies of 75 years of incompetent governments.
The FBR is bound to survey the markets after every 3 months, issue NTN and collect revenue through honest survey. The country will not need any loans if the collected revenue is spent honestly, he said.
Ashraf Bhatti said everyone should pay taxes to keep the country alive. “The business community has invited the FBR to come to markets and conduct a fair survey. The government shall collect taxes by involving traders in mutual consultation. The traders will give full support.
Unfortunately, government and bureaucracy do not want to do any good work,” he said. Khalid Paracha has said tax is the issue of Pakistan, not the IMF.
It is not clear how FBR will meet the IMF tax collection targets. There is a need to create balance between income and expenditures. The tax is imposed in the name the IMF. IMF asks a fair tax system. It does not ask to burden the poor people with taxes. A fair tax system and discouraging corruption are essential, he said.
Imran Afzal said it is not a voluntary tax scheme for traders but a tax trapping programme. It is corruption to hide FBR incompetence. FBR has all the information but does not want to do anything. FBR has always put the burden of taxes on the salaried-class and businessmen. FBR burdened the people who are already in the tax net with additional taxes. The FBR should work hard to broaden the scope of the tax net and eradicate corruption, he said.
LAHORE:Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman Thursday gave a four-day deadline to the Punjab government to...
LAHORE:Another policeman was martyred in the Tibbi City police limits on Thursday. According to sources, the suspected...
LAHORE:The formal registration of all disabled individuals in Punjab has been launched to ensure that they have access...
LAHORE:MET office Thursday predicted partly cloudy and hot weather in the city for the next 24 hours. The MET...
LAHORE:The Iranian Consul General Mehran Mowahid Far met Provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce Chaudhry...
LAHORE:The third review meeting on Punjab cotton cultivation targets was held at Multan's Muhammad Nawaz Sharif...
LAHORE:Minister Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir visited the Urology Transplant Centre, Jinnah...
LAHORE:A function regarding the annual report of 2023 was held here on Thursday at the Office of the Ombudsman Punjab...