IMF board removed Pakistan from its agenda: Mandviwalla

ISLAMABAD: The PPP Secretary Finance and former deputy chairman Senate Salim Mandviwalla Sunday claimed that the IMF board meeting removed Pakistan from its agenda.

The PPP leader termed the budget as copied and pasted for three years and said the government has wreaked havoc by imposing indirect taxes worth of Rs727 billion which will affect the poor. “The government also taxed what was not taxed before as imposition of 17 percent sales tax on crude oil, which means the petroleum prices will also increase further,” he said while addressing a press conference here.

Salim Mandviwalla said tax was imposed on the goods bought online. “The government should not impose taxes on online shopping items that were not taxed during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Every year, he said, the PTI’s target has been the destruction of the tax collection system. “How a government that doesn’t know how to collect taxes can present budget,” he questioned.

The PPP leader said the government says no taxes have been levied, but Rs27 billion indirect taxes have been imposed. “There has been talk of increasing the petroleum levy. Soon the petrol will increase 20 rupees per litre and it will directly affect the poor, while LNG is also going to be 17 percent more expensive,” he said.

Mandviwalla said this budget was presented without cabinet approval. He said the prices of sugar have already reached Rs100 per kilogram as GST of Rs7 has been imposed. “The finance minister has admitted that the IMF agreement was wrong,” he said. The PPP leader said that no NFC Award has been announced for seven years. “Hopefully Shaukat Tarin will look into the NFC issue,” he said.