Public officeholders won’t be able to benefit from amnesty scheme

ISLAMABAD: Barring public officeholders from avail the upcoming amnesty scheme, Special Assistant to PM on Revenues Haroon Akhtar Khan said that the proposed Foreign Asset Declaration Scheme (FADS) would bring home $4 to $5 billion if tax rate is kept low and provided full guarantee, confidentiality and maximum immunity for this scheme.

He said the government was considering presenting this scheme along with money bill on eve of upcoming budget 2018-19 but nothing was so far finalised as separate bills could also be introduced in Parliament. Without full backing of Parliament and consensus, this proposed schemer could not succeed.

“Judges of Supreme Court are reviewing this proposed amnesty scheme and we will take into account their direction. We want to give protection from Anti Money Laundering (AML), National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and FIA laws but offenses like terrorist financing, corruption or drug money will not be protected,” Akhtar said while talking to reporters after a ceremony at FBR for online payment system of all taxes here on Tuesday.

He said all public officeholders including parliamentarians, bureaucrats, judges and others would not avail this upcoming scheme. When asked whether Hassan and Hussain Nawaz will be allowed to avail this scheme, he said that all public officeholders would be barred for availing this scheme.