Increased taxes: Academics fear brain drain

Withdrawal of the subsidy previously given to university teachers and researchers will result in a brain drain.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) said it fears that the decision by the government to withdraw the subsidy previously given to university teachers and researchers will result in a brain drain. In a press briefing arranged by the PAS, scientists urged the government to revisit the clause in the new budget that pertains to the removal of the tax. Speaking on the occasion Secretary General PAS Prof Dr Anwar Nasim said that the exemption was provided in the Second Schedule of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. “These incentives were given decade ago to promote the quality of teaching and researches in Pakistan” he said adding that the incentive helped attract quite a few Pakistani academics living abroad back to Pakistan to serve various national institutions. Dr Nasim said that by removing the exemption, the government would achieve only a 0.12% increase in national revenue, while seriously hampering scientific output of the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2013.

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