ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly on Tuesday demanded enhancing the ratio of direct taxes, decreasing indirect taxes, increasing government employees’ salaries upto 20 per cent, besides announcing a new housing scheme for government employees.
Taking part in the budget debate in National Assembly, parliamentary leader of MQM Dr Muhammad Farooq Sattar called for withdrawal of taxes on stationary items. The government employees should be enhanced upto 20 percent and minimum wages of labour be fixed at least Rs 20,000 per month, he added.
He said the Federation should be authorised to collect agriculture tax from the provinces. Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) should be converted into Benazir Income Generation Programme.
Asad Umer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed that the economic growth ratio of country was 4.3 per cent during the last financial year. Foreign direct investment had also decreased, he added.
Quoting Planning Commission figures, he claimed that 1.5 million youth were unemployed in the country. Only 300 MW power was added in last three years. Taxes on electricity and gas should be reduced, he demanded. The ratio of General Sales Tax (GST), he said, should be decreased to 15 per cent.
Chief of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the farmers should be paid the actual price of their produce.
