ISLAMABAD: Unfriendly business policies, tax exempted agriculture income and recently announced tax amnesty scheme for facilitating non-taxpayers, all such acts arouse sense of injustice in those who are paying taxes timely and honestly.
All these concerns were raised by Attock Chamber of Commerce President Mirza Abdul Rehman in an interview with Customs Today, suggesting that long-term policies should be adopted instead of focusing the short-term to enhance the tax base.
Mirza urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to trap the big tax evader. Almost 90 percent people of Islamabad were giving their houses on rent and earning millions of rupees but they were paying minor taxes, he said. He also criticised the role of Capital Development Authority (CDA), which was facilitating the miscreants by settling matters under the table.
He further said that tax evaders must be brought to table but small traders those were running business, besides paying taxes should not be harassed.
Voluntary Tax Compliance Scheme what he termed as injustice with existing taxpayers, ACCI President said that taxpayers were not being given exemptions but tax evaders being facilitated, as they have been given chance to pay minor taxes. Electricity shortage, transport issues, problems of labours and others issues have engulfed the business community but the government was busy in generating revenue by increasing tax rates, he said.
He said that refund claims were pending with the FBR for over ten years, which were not being cleared. The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan which was profitable earlier, now sinking.
Talking about the lying potential of enhancing trade between Pakistan and India, he said that Pakistan offered visas to Indian businessmen for all country but the Indian government allowed Pakistanis to visit only three states. He said that India gave excess to Pakistanis to the population of 50 million, while Pakistan to 200 million to exploit the market. Such limitation created problem for Pakistan’s business community, he said, adding that India has made strict policies.
He said that India should develop easy polices, adding that it want to give visas only to those have turnover over Rs 500 million but there were small traders those should be given chance to explore Indian markets.
Small chambers have been established but those who have business ranging from Rs 2 million to 20 million could joint it, he said.
