Like many others, I strongly believe that my country is rich, but we all- – each one according to his/her power and authority – steal its wealth. Based on a set of new figures, it finds that our country is a net creditor to many countries and global fiscal bodies to the tune of billions of dollars. There’s money going in: in the form of loans, remittances, and aid. It is noticed that several multinational companies operating across the country steal much of this-legally – by pretending they are really generating their wealth in tax havens. These so-called illicit financial flows amount to a reasonable percentage of the country’s entire gross domestic product (GDP) or many times of what Pakistan receives in aid.
Pakistan’s billions of rupees are lost or stolen in one way or the other, but who cares? My country will keep on losing its government revenue to debt repayments, paying loans and citizens will keep on suffering because of direct and indirect taxes, hyperinflation. It is time to change the mentality of those in authority positions and help those who are unable to help themselves. If our present rulers are really sincere about building Naya Pakistan with genuine and strong democracy and vibrant economy, sustainable and durable infrastructure, they would take the steps that are required.
Hashim Abro
Islamabad