ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of the Parliament, which is scheduled to meet on Monday, may press the government to take immediate steps to broaden tax base.
Well placed sources revealed to Customs Today that MQM Senator Col (r) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi has submitted a resolution to the Senate Secretariat in this regard and the Senate is likely to adopt the resolution on Monday (today).
Broadening of tax net has been a crucial subject for the country’s fragile economy and the successive governments had been making tall claims to broaden the tax net in the past.
Former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Sohail Ahmad during the proceedings of a parliamentary committee, some two years, had boasted that the more than 3 million potential taxpayers had been identified. Similarly the previous Finance Minister had also tried to take a lead by showing the nation that the newly-identified potential taxpayers had lavish life style, frequent foreign visitors as well as massive resources on their accounts.
But, the incumbent government and its Finance Minister seem very much inclined to push the subject bring in potential taxpayers into the net. However, some reports have surfaced recently that the FBR had served notices on some of the identified potential taxpayers and majority of them have ‘reportedly’ responded positively.
Once, the Senate adopts the MQM Senator’s resolution, the government would be to take specified measures to broaden tax net as per commitment made before the House, because under the revised rules and amendments, all Ministries and Departments are bound either to implement resolutions or explain reasons for non-implementation to the House within two months.
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