Pakistan

All provinces were united on RGST: Gilani

PM says no political party including PML-N had rejected RGST.

November 14, 2010

LAHORE: Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) Bill was tabled in the National Assembly after having consensus from all provinces in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting.

Speaking to journalists at a hospital in Lahore, the prime minister said no political party including the PML-N had rejected the RGST. The prime minister had come to visit former Senator Gulzar Ahmed Khan.

Gilani said Pakistan is not being pressurised by any foreign country to impose the RGST. “People have elected us, we are not the enemy of the public.”

The prime minister said that at the Council of Common Interest forum, all provinces had shown their inability to provide the agreed amount of Rs80,000 to each flood affected family, which left the federal government with no option but to impose a flood tax to generate funds.

“The flood tax is not going to be permanent, but an interim arrangement to be imposed for a period of six months, the PM said.

The PM said the international community is helping flood victims from their tax-payers’ money and they expect Pakistan to do something on its own. “We should send a message to the world that we are a civilized nation and do not depend totally on foreign assistance,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (10)

Masroor | 14 years ago | Reply We are helping the flood affected people in our own ways, you(PM) dont need to bother for them, if u have the pain of the affected people, sale few assets of your party head you can better help the affected people, shameless people begging in the name of flood.

Masroor | 14 years ago | Reply We are helping the flood affected people in our own ways

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KK | 14 years ago | Reply Zardari has become like king John of Robin hood fame, taxing the poor and exempting the rich. Why he does not tax the landowning feudals?

Hafiz shah Ali | 14 years ago | Reply Really,who cares.Neither the PM and I guess neither the CM of provinces pay any Income Tax and they would neither know nor care to understand the misery RGST will bring on people. I find it sickening the FM also trying to sell RGST when he paid no incoem tax nor did Hina Rabani Khar. And please give us statistics: how much taxes are collected from Baluchistan and KP and GB province??????? What choice do people have...............The price hike and inflation will not be bearable.People will react..... MQM and PML(N)/PML(Q) so far have taken a stand to resist RGST. Those political parties taht will oppose RGST will gain the support of people,as to others let them come asking for votes they will know the outcome The solution to higher tax revenue is to totally reforrn the FBR from top to bottom.Automate the entire process of tax collection and refunds.

Klues | 14 years ago | Reply Just like earthquake rehabitilation has been completed and everyone has a house and livelihood who were affected. Stop living in dream world, this money will go to paying for 60 ministries.

Hassan Bokhari | 14 years ago | Reply Instead of continously speaking against the government, the opposition and (Fake Seat Hungry Coalition) partners should suggest better ways (If there are any) to help build and rebuild the Pakistani economy. I have noticed that it is mainly the PPP who are always suggesting and trying to do their best while all others just sit back and critisize all day long.

Reema Mushtaq | 14 years ago | Reply No doubt that implementation of RGST will further increase the hardships of the poor people . But what is also true is that the IMF has imposed certain conditions upon the country and the RGST reform is one of them. If this fails to see the light of day, the IMF will stop the next tranche of $1.7 billion. Also, if this bill is blocked the government will find itself walking on eggshells. This move will defeat the intentions of the government. It will leave us without the many millions we need to reconstruct our flood-ravaged country by means of these additional taxes and the IMF tranche. The opposition and the protesting coalition partners, although voicing the captive tax group’s opinion, is blind to the fact that if they were in a similarly precarious position, where the country needed billions of dollars for rehabilitation, would likely be proposing the same reforms, whether equitable or not.

Klues | 14 years ago | Reply All provinces were united on RGST: Gilani and it is approved 100% by Holbrooke, the country breaker.

Klues | 14 years ago | Reply Wow, someone is out of the loop I guess.

reader | 14 years ago | Reply Mr. Prime Minister is once again lying the nation in the floor of parliament as Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister, Kaiser Bangali refuted the claim that the provinces were taken on board over the imposition of RGST...

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