PTI objects to Rs415.8b tax exemption to the rich

Islamabad

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly objected to what it says the grant of Rs415.8 billion tax exemptions to the rich while imposing extra five percent tax on clothes, food, juices, milk, water and 565 other items of the common man’s use.

 PTI’s senior leader Andleeb Abbas has written a letter to the prime minister in this connection and sought certified information under Article 19-A of the Constitution and the Freedom of Information Ordinance, 2002,  regarding the budget presented in Parliament on May 26.

The letter has sought information regarding corruption and misuse of public money in the budgetary allocations under the relevant laws. She contended that the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif presented its 5th deficit budget of Rs4.8 trillion.

She alleged it was another attempt to misuse taxpayers money for personal objectives as rewards to loyalists as Rs120 billion of new taxes had been imposed on the poor nation, whose 39 percent population lives under the poverty line, experiencing extreme hunger and deprivations.

 The PTI leader pointed out that Article 3 of the Constitution states that the state shall ensure the elimination of all forms of exploitation and the gradual fulfillment of the fundamental principle according to ability of his work.

 5 per cent tax on 565 items of the use of common man,” she said and called for provision of the requisite information within 21 days.

 She said that while each new born child was burdened with Rs110,000 loan, an increase of 63 percent had been made in the  salary of President Mamnoon Hussain in the budget. She added that why the mega corruption scandal of payment of Rs480 billion to IPPs in 2013 had not been investigated so far.  

“In violation of Article 3 of the Constitution, how can the government grant Rs 415.8 billion tax exemptions to the rich while impose extra 5 per cent tax on 565 items of the use of common man,” she said and called for provision of the requisite information within 21 days.

The  PTI leader noted that despite massive allocations for ending the energy crisis, load shedding continued to plague the national life and pointed out the Economic Survey bore testimony to that.