‘No concessions’ for tax evaders, warns Imran

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has hinted at a crackdown against tax evaders after June 30, stressing there will be “no concessions” for individuals not availing the tax amnesty scheme, Geo News reported.A statement from the Prime Minister’s office on Tuesday said Khan chaired the preparatory meeting for budget 2019-20 wherein he was briefed in detail about revenue and spending.The meeting was attended by finance adviser Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, commerce adviser Abdul Razak Dawood, Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, State Minister for Revenue Hammad Azhar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Sania Nishtar, Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Shabbar Zaidi and senior government officers.According to Geo News sources, the FBR chairman also briefed the Prime Minister on the tax amnesty scheme. Hammad Azhar briefed the meeting on the extension in the date of tax returns and tax revenue.During the meeting, Prime Minister Khan asked the economic team what was being done to bring “big fish” into the tax net, adding why was it that only the salaried class was paying tax. The Prime Minister said that all institutions were with the government to catch tax evaders.The meeting came the same day Pak-US Business Council Chairman and veteran trade leader Iftikhar Malik said the entire business community, including the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce, all its affiliated chambers, trade bodies and associations will extend their full support to Prime Minister Khan’s tax amnesty scheme and broadening the tax base across the country.He also said the tax collection system in Pakistan is very complicated which needs to be reviewed as per global environment. Moreover, the tax amnesty scheme should also boost industrialisation and create new investment in sectors besides real estate and improve ease of doing business.“Pakistan needs such type of amnesty scheme because people transferred their money abroad due to terrorism and poor law and order situation in the past,” he added.—News Desk/APP

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