Media watch: Taxing times

Media discusses the possibility of the the RGST and flood tax being implemented and its implications for the country.

Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.

Financial measures

Clearly, the government has not handled the fiscal side well, allowing the deficit to mushroom by doing little to enhance revenue or cut non-essential current expenditure. Moreover, when it comes to inflation, especially of foodstuff, fuel and electricity, the casualness of the government`s approach has allowed matters to grow substantially worse than they should have been. (dawn.com)

More misery

It appears the government wishes to bulldoze the bill through parliament as swiftly as possible – perhaps hoping to stifle debate and discussion. It should be aware that this may not happen. Anger is being widely expressed in many places. While Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh has said the cost of items of everyday use will not go up, the fact is that the tax burden on people through the GST imposition will increase markedly. (thenews.com.pk)

The burden increases

Both measures are extremely shortsighted, and both, especially the GST revision, have been undertaken at the behest of the IMF. One of the purposes of the GST revision, to broaden the tax base, cannot be achieved with the current taxation machinery, which is thoroughly corrupt, and will administer the revised GST in the same corrupt way. (nation.com.pk)

The tax blues

Once again the salaried class has come under direct fire at a time when inflation is breaking the backs of the masses. It is a wonder that the issue of tax evasion and holding to account the culprits who indulge in this practice has been shunned in favour of further taxing the already heavily taxed. (dailytimes.com.pk)

The tax bomb!

Much is understandably being made of the fact that those who approved the levy of a one-time rise in income tax rate are exempt from the payment of income tax. Agricultural landlords with an income comparable to that earned by the country's big industrialists as well as commercial houses, a category in which the majority of PPP cabinet members including the Prime Minister and his Minister of State for Economic Affairs belong, would remain tax-exempt. (brecorder.com)