ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the tax amnesty scheme could be launched within next two weeks.
In an interview with a local news channel, he said that the amnesty scheme is neither a ploy to amass wealth nor to nab people, but it would be an attempt to formally bring the undeclared assets into the documented economy.
Currently, only 1.2 million people file tax returns, he said, adding that hardly 0.7 to 0.8 per cent population bore the burden of paying taxes.
Terming the current system unfair, the prime minister observed that those people who had paid taxes were overburdened whereas others who shied away from paying the same were exempted. To fill the gap, the government had to go for indirect taxation.
The prime minister also dropped a hint that the current tax slabs could be reduced to enable the people to pay their taxes. The exemption slab for the low income could be further adjusted, he added. He said the national identity cards could be utilized for creation of profiles to wider the tax net and stressed that Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) should enhance its trust with public.
