ISLAMABAD: Senator Rubina Khalid, a member of the Senate Committee for Commerce, has advised the government to pay attention to establish a strong cottage industry in the country. She said that due to energy crisis, Pakistan’s exports were gradually decreasing and the industrial sector was dire in need of power generation.
During exclusive interview with Customs Today, she said that exporters were facing various problems due to energy crisis and were unable even to meet the deadlines given by their clients. She said that the government was avoiding to review taxation policies. Senator Rubina Khalid said that there was a vast scope of cottage industry among the SAARC countries and she was contributing a lot for its promotion in the country by herself. She said that cottage industry provides employment opportunities at the door step and government should concentrate on establishing business pickets in different areas of the country, for example there was huge scope of hand looms in West Punjab, Bahawalpur, and Khairpur, but this industry is also decreasing gradually due to government ignorance. Senator Rubina Khalid said that if present government seriously implements its commerce policies then people of the country must get some fruitful results.
Replying to a question about taxation system she said that government should take some comprehensive measures to expand net, but also avoid to take such steps which discourage tax payers. Senator Rubina Khalid said that there is no tax culture in our country so government must take some steps to promote tax culture. She said “we have to determine our people that if they will pay tax, they will get better facilities”. She said that in our country every body is talking about its own rights but very don’t know that there are bound to perform their some of their national duties. Senator Rubina Khalid said that “right and duties and attached with each other” so we have to follow this rule.
She said that Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry forwarded a proposal to government that they applied taxes on commercial enterprises after accessing their electricity bills. This measure will expose that our an industry which is paying Rs 100000 as electricity bill but avoiding to pay Rs 10000 as income tax.
She said that more tax payers will bring under tax net if government introduced some modules for them. Rubina Khalid said that we are waiting for government measures which it will take after expiry of Tax Amnesty Scheme. She said that through tax amnesty scheme one can convert its black money into white but this measure is discouraging tax payers on the other hand.
She advised government not to harass people who are paying income tax regularly, but on the other hand FBR must introduce tax friendly policies this will improve the confidence of tax payers.
Answering a question Senator Rubina Khalid said that government should take some concrete measure to discourge “Thana Culture”. She said due to thana culture people prefer to settle their disputes among themselves instead of solving them through thana.
She said that efforts are not being made on parliamentary level for promotion of tax culture. Rubina Khalid said that we have to think as Pakistanis, leaving behind our political affliations.
