NA session: PTI, PPP refuse to accept Amnesty scheme
Include the scheme in upcoming budget if it is that much effective, said Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday have refused to accept the Amnesty scheme after it was presented in the National Assembly.
During a speech, PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the scheme is announced for those who want to loot the country. Our party has decided to oppose the ordinance, he asserted.
PTI leader said that the government indirectly relied on tax, however, it should have also done something for direct taxation. He further demanded to include the scheme in upcoming budget if it is that much effective, adding that it’s the first government to present six budgets in five years.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that State Bank and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) are also feeling hesitation while accepting it.
Meanwhile, PPP leader Naveed Qamar said that the ordinance is inappropriate and asked why should the people trust PML-N as it is not giving any relief.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while announcing an amnesty scheme for the non-taxpayers said that the politicians could not take advantage of the scheme.
He said that paying tax was the duty of the every citizen and not paying taxes was a crime.
The prime minister said that only 1.2 million people are filer income tax return out of a population of 207 million, adding that only 700,000 were paying tax while others only filed returns and paid no income tax.
“The maximum rate of income tax was being reduced from the existing 30% to 15%, Abbasi said and added annual income of upto Rs1.2 million would be exempted from the income tax.
He said that an individual earning Rs4.8 million per annum will pay 15 percent tax, adding that the rate of income tax for the income bracket of 2.4 to 4.8 million rupees would be 10 percent.
There would be five percent income tax on income falling between 1.2 to 2.4 million rupees annually.
