Dr. Yasmin Raashid advisor to PTI Chairman strongly criticized PML-N government decision to impose new taxes from 1st December on more than 300 items especially as out of these 300 items mostly eatables items are to taxed. Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar who is the puppet of International Monetary Fund (IMF), in order to secure the next USD 502 million-loan tranche from IMF, is ready to put 40 billion extra burden on the poor consumers she added. She said so this was the economic progress that was much touted by Nawaz Sharif, where poor nation is finding it difficult to meet both ends. The poor have no other option but to pay the extra taxes but Sharif Brothers and their cronies will benefit and use this money for their luxurious life styles and foreign tours she added. She said the so-called experienced lot of PML-N has governed Pakistan so badly that cracks are opening widely in economy and they are just filling them with artificial gimmicks. By taxing the already overtaxed poor public the revenue shortfall can never be met until and unless the government introduced the tax reforms she added. She said the single biggest reason why we are a beggar nation is that even after 68 years we are unable to introduce taxation reforms in the country. Rather than continually imposing new taxes, the government needs to start collecting taxes from those who dodge it she added. She said the parallel economy is booming and influential groups and sectors appear as untouchable as ever. Nobody in the government is willing to take measures for tax reforms, as then they will have to pay taxes themselves.
PTI Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas said within six months PML-N has introduced mini budget, this speaks volumes about the so-called financial planning of fourth time finance minster, Ishaq Dar. New taxes are being imposed on the behest of IMF she added. She said, as always the poor have to bear the brunt of new taxes. Falling exports, six percent erosion in exchange rate and new taxes worth Rs40 billion will break the back of the poor masses she added. She said we have been told by FBR that a list of 3.2 million Pakistanis who have multiple properties and bank accounts and this list is with the government. But no one is ready to bring this large chunk of potential taxpayers into tax net she added. She said government must seek effective taxation reforms to bring the rich into the tax net. The country cannot run on the taxes collected from only 2 percent of the people, and 98 percent of the remaining manage to escape from this responsibility she added. She said PML-N instead of window dressing policy must wake up and remove all perks, privileges and subsidies to wealthy non-tax paying scoundrels including the rich parliamentarians. Pakistan is such an unfortunate country that food for Sharif family is delivered on helicopters but the poor have to pay extra tax on their food items she added. She totally rejected PML-N mini budget and urged Prime Minster to withdraw the decision to impose taxes on food items at least.