Dialogue at CRSS: ‘Provinces should proactively pursue tax collection’
Politicians, private sector discuss economic reforms
Qamar emphasised on a proactive approach for improving the tax collection in the country. PHOTO: PPI
Provinces should proactively and vigorously collect taxes so that the burden shifts from the captive tax payers like the salaried class.
This was stated by Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Naveed Qamar while speaking at the maiden public-private dialogue organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). According to a press release issued, the dialogue was organised by CRSS in partnership with Center for International Private Enterprise to facilitate high-level policy discussion between the business community and political leadership.
The series of dialogues aim to provide a platform to the private sector to convey their grievances to politicians on economic issues and challenges hampering growth while devising solutions and framework for economic reforms. The discourse also hopes to generate critical feedback for the economic manifestos of participating political parties.
Qamar emphasised on a proactive approach for improving the tax collection in the country. He said the myth that agriculture is not taxed needs to be addressed because it was the responsibility of provincial governments to collect taxes.
Sustainable Development Policy Institute Deputy Executive Director Dr Vaqar Ahmed, while giving a presentation on tax reforms in Pakistan, said that it was difficult to collect taxes due to the large number of exemptions, concessions and preferential treatment allowed to certain sectors particularly agriculture, industry and services.
“Taxes should not merely be seen as a means to run the government machinery,” he said adding that the estimates of tax gap should also be updated.
“It is critical to rationalise the number and size of concessions.”
Senator Afrasiab Khattak and Bushra Gohar from ANP also spoke at the dialogue assuring their cooperation in considering the feedback from the private sector.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2016.
This was stated by Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Naveed Qamar while speaking at the maiden public-private dialogue organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). According to a press release issued, the dialogue was organised by CRSS in partnership with Center for International Private Enterprise to facilitate high-level policy discussion between the business community and political leadership.
The series of dialogues aim to provide a platform to the private sector to convey their grievances to politicians on economic issues and challenges hampering growth while devising solutions and framework for economic reforms. The discourse also hopes to generate critical feedback for the economic manifestos of participating political parties.
Qamar emphasised on a proactive approach for improving the tax collection in the country. He said the myth that agriculture is not taxed needs to be addressed because it was the responsibility of provincial governments to collect taxes.
Sustainable Development Policy Institute Deputy Executive Director Dr Vaqar Ahmed, while giving a presentation on tax reforms in Pakistan, said that it was difficult to collect taxes due to the large number of exemptions, concessions and preferential treatment allowed to certain sectors particularly agriculture, industry and services.
“Taxes should not merely be seen as a means to run the government machinery,” he said adding that the estimates of tax gap should also be updated.
“It is critical to rationalise the number and size of concessions.”
Senator Afrasiab Khattak and Bushra Gohar from ANP also spoke at the dialogue assuring their cooperation in considering the feedback from the private sector.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2016.