Budget favours the rich who support PML-N: Imran
PTI chief alleges the budget will make the poor poorer
Criticising the new budget presented by the incumbent government, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan said the rich and powerful have been favoured.
“The budget presented by the PML-N has favoured the rich,” Imran alleged, while addressing the media on Saturday.
Claiming that the poor have been unnecessarily taxed, the PTI chief said, “The budget will make the poor poorer.”
“The government should tax those who can pay and not those who cannot pay,” he alleged.
Read: Budget 2015-16 is pro-poor with rich kept in mind: Dar
Further, Imran said the government is exempting those who can pay taxes or is not making efforts to retrieve taxes from them because these are the people who support the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
“We have given an alternate budget suggesting sales tax should be brought down to 12.5% from 17%,” he added.
Read: Budget 2015-16: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar unveils Rs4.451 tr budget
“If you look at western countries, their governments take money from the rich and spend it on welfare,” he said, adding that the same is not being done in Pakistan.
The PTI chief said there are several mini-budgets announced during the year after the main budget. Further, Imran claimed, "The government has not met any of its major targets."
Stressing on the importance of tax collection, Imran said that the FBR should be made more “autonomous” otherwise tax collection will be poor.
Further, the PTI chief suggested, “There should have been an increase of 15% in salaries of government officers instead of 7.5%.”
Regarding Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s budget, where his party is the ruling party, Imran said, “In K-P, we have kept the minimum wage at Rs15,000 instead of the Rs13,000 minimum wage suggested by the government.”
Earlier today, while explaining the salient features of the budget, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar refuted claims that the budget was for the rich.
“This is a pro-poor budget but we also have to keep the rich in mind,” the finance minister said.
“The budget presented by the PML-N has favoured the rich,” Imran alleged, while addressing the media on Saturday.
Claiming that the poor have been unnecessarily taxed, the PTI chief said, “The budget will make the poor poorer.”
“The government should tax those who can pay and not those who cannot pay,” he alleged.
Read: Budget 2015-16 is pro-poor with rich kept in mind: Dar
Further, Imran said the government is exempting those who can pay taxes or is not making efforts to retrieve taxes from them because these are the people who support the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
“We have given an alternate budget suggesting sales tax should be brought down to 12.5% from 17%,” he added.
Read: Budget 2015-16: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar unveils Rs4.451 tr budget
“If you look at western countries, their governments take money from the rich and spend it on welfare,” he said, adding that the same is not being done in Pakistan.
The PTI chief said there are several mini-budgets announced during the year after the main budget. Further, Imran claimed, "The government has not met any of its major targets."
Stressing on the importance of tax collection, Imran said that the FBR should be made more “autonomous” otherwise tax collection will be poor.
Further, the PTI chief suggested, “There should have been an increase of 15% in salaries of government officers instead of 7.5%.”
Regarding Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s budget, where his party is the ruling party, Imran said, “In K-P, we have kept the minimum wage at Rs15,000 instead of the Rs13,000 minimum wage suggested by the government.”
Earlier today, while explaining the salient features of the budget, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar refuted claims that the budget was for the rich.
“This is a pro-poor budget but we also have to keep the rich in mind,” the finance minister said.