Hina Khar for broadening tax net

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday underlined the need for broadening the tax net, as senators across the political divide lashed out at the media for branding them as ‘taxes-evaders’.

Responding to points of order at the Upper House of parliament, she described tax evasion as national problem, adding that the tax of parliamentarians on account of their salaries was being deducted.

She said if there was any mistake in the assets record, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should rectify it because most of the members had been filing the record of their assets, but their names had been appearing in the media.

She said the name of the prime minister had also appeared in the press followed by clarifications. The minister said those who had been criticising the others tax-evasion also needed to pay tax on their billions of rupees assets. She said many institutions and well-to-do people were involved in tax-theft. “One way of tax evasion is not to declare assets while there are some others who collect tax in the name of the government but do not deposit it in the exchequer,” she added.

“Tax is a serious problem of the country and it is the moral obligation to deposit it in the exchequer of those who have been collecting tax at the name of the government”, she added.

Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek wanted the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to come up with details and clarification of those paying taxes and tax evaders.

Minister for Science and Technology Azam Swati said that he had all his business in the US and was paying taxes abroad and at home as well on the property he owned.

Earlier, the issue was raised by Senator Haji Adeel on a point of order and drew attention of the House towards a media report in this regard. The senators one after the other said that they had been paying taxes and such allegations were part of a malicious campaign against them.

Senator Zahid Khan and others also spoke on a point of order and clarified their positions following the media reports that the prime minister, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and 25 ministers had not been paying taxes.