Govt pockets petroleum taxes worth Rs 2.5 billion per day: Khursheed Shah
Impoverished people should not be crushed under debts, says Opposition Leader
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Khursheed Shah on Thursday has said that the government is squeezing taxes worth at least Rs 2.5 billion per day on petroleum products out of people’s pockets.
He criticised the government while talking to media in his chamber in the Parliament House.
He said that Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar referred to such amounts as “jaggah tax” during his tenure in opposition. Shah said that petrol’s price should be Rs 40.01 while that of high-speed diesel’s Rs 39. The government has imposed at least Rs 45 tax on high-speed diesel, he added.
He said that the government is pocketing Rs 1.15 billion everyday through taxes on high-speed diesel while petrol tax adds up to Rs 58 crore.
Calculating the exact figures, the Opposition Leader said that the total taxes on petroleum products are worth Rs 900 billion per year. He further said that he is not against collection of taxes but the rate should not be so high that impoverished people are crushed under debts.
