Imposition of flood tax a must: Zardari

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

ISLAMABAD – Snubbing voices against flood tax from within the ruling PPP, President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said that a one-time levy would be a must on the well-to-do people.
According to the President, this one-time tax would have to be imposed to get contribution from taxable income drawing people to help shore up the relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that the President expressed these views and party line on flood tax while addressing a women roundtable meeting at the Presidency. Women parliamentarians, federal ministers, and representatives of non-governmental organisations attended the meeting held for the flood affectees.
“Unless we are prepared to share bread with our grief and disaster-stricken brethren, we should not expect others to help us,” the Spokesman quoted the President as addressing the meeting.
He said that he had already advised the Government to tap indigenous resources wherever there was a room for taping such resources, adding also that it should be done in a transparent and above board manner.
The President also said that the entire aid would be disbursed in a very transparent manner and every citizen would have access to the information relating to the aid distribution.
Addressing the meeting, the President said that women’s voices must be heard and their concerns must be taken into account in shaping any disaster response strategy. He said that giving adequate representation to the women in all forums would help in understanding woman and girl-specific needs and actions to be taken in this regard.