Punjab has envisaged strategy to mobilise tax revenues: Ayesha Ghaus

Says growing population has hindered growth despite higher expenditure on development

LAHORE: The provincial government has increased development expenditure in Punjab by 37%, but its growing population has been a major impediment to growth, said Punjab Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha.

Speaking at a high-level consultative meeting on tax reforms and private dialogue on Thursday, she said, “In the past, load-shedding had crippled Punjab’s economy hence, improving energy sector has also been our top priority.”



The meeting was held by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with the Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). It was attended by a large number of experts and representatives from various public as well as private sector entities related to trade, business and economy.

Participants discussed the present federal and provincial tax regimes at length and suggested various corrective measures to improve the state of national economy.

Pasha said the government was trying to improve human resources capital in the country through better education and skill development.

She said that the government was busy in broader consultation with academia and private sector to redress the factors that were deterring our economy from growth.

She said that the federal government has been urged to take measures on its part to improve the business climate in Pakistan whereas the Punjab government has envisaged a strategy to mobilise tax revenues.

The government aims to improve the tax mechanisms through automation that includes electronic collection of taxes and computerised land records as well.

Also speaking on the occasion, Punjab Planning and Development Board Chairman Agha Waqar Javed said that the government was keen to promote private sector-led growth in Punjab.



He said that the Planning and Development Department was mandated to conduct a review of the service delivery of all public sector enterprises in Punjab that would help identify the areas that need improvement.

SDPI Executive Director Abid Qaiyum Suleri said that business community was willing to pay taxes but the government should take steps to eliminate double taxation and ought to facilitate tax payers.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2017.

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