Unaffected growers may have to pay more taxes
Growers whose land was unaffected by the floods, may have to pay more taxes to help government overcome its losses.
KARACHI:
Growers, whose land was unaffected by the floods, may have to pay more taxes to help the government overcome its losses. To discuss this suggestion put forward by President Zardari, the government held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the procedure for collecting a higher, one-off tax from those people who were unaffected by the floods.
A committee has been set up to figure out the procedure for tax collection. The Sindh Board of Revenue chairman will head this committee. The committee and the cantonment board will compile a report in one week in which they will suggest how the tax should be implemented and how it should be collected from those growers who were not affected by the floods.
The meeting, presided over by Syed Murad Ali Shah, was held at the Sindh Secretariat. It was attended by Revenue Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dehar, Excise and Taxation Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Sindh Board of Revenue Chairman Nazar Hussain Mehar, and other officials.
According to officials, most of the larger houses are located in areas where the federal government collects property tax. Most plots that are bigger than 500 square yards are located in areas such as DHA, Clifton and Malir Cantonment. The officials also decided that various taxes, such as property tax, stamps duty and registration tax and agriculture tax, should be changed so that the losses can be overcome.
The meeting was informed that the president has issued clear directives that growers in those areas that were not affected by the floods, will earn an extra profit so they should be taxed accordingly.
The committee will look into all aspects and then present its suggestions. Once the suggestions are submitted, the government will consult its coalition partners and then present the bill in the provincial cabinet.
President Zardari said that it is very easy to earn revenue by increasing the price of petrol by Rs2 but the entire nation would suffer if the government resorts to this action. He stressed that a progressive system must be implemented so that only the upper class has to pay the tax.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2010.
Growers, whose land was unaffected by the floods, may have to pay more taxes to help the government overcome its losses. To discuss this suggestion put forward by President Zardari, the government held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the procedure for collecting a higher, one-off tax from those people who were unaffected by the floods.
A committee has been set up to figure out the procedure for tax collection. The Sindh Board of Revenue chairman will head this committee. The committee and the cantonment board will compile a report in one week in which they will suggest how the tax should be implemented and how it should be collected from those growers who were not affected by the floods.
The meeting, presided over by Syed Murad Ali Shah, was held at the Sindh Secretariat. It was attended by Revenue Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dehar, Excise and Taxation Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Sindh Board of Revenue Chairman Nazar Hussain Mehar, and other officials.
According to officials, most of the larger houses are located in areas where the federal government collects property tax. Most plots that are bigger than 500 square yards are located in areas such as DHA, Clifton and Malir Cantonment. The officials also decided that various taxes, such as property tax, stamps duty and registration tax and agriculture tax, should be changed so that the losses can be overcome.
The meeting was informed that the president has issued clear directives that growers in those areas that were not affected by the floods, will earn an extra profit so they should be taxed accordingly.
The committee will look into all aspects and then present its suggestions. Once the suggestions are submitted, the government will consult its coalition partners and then present the bill in the provincial cabinet.
President Zardari said that it is very easy to earn revenue by increasing the price of petrol by Rs2 but the entire nation would suffer if the government resorts to this action. He stressed that a progressive system must be implemented so that only the upper class has to pay the tax.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2010.