Sir: All over the world where there is a documented economy, the onus is on an individual to provide justification for his/her assets, bank balance, sources of income, etc, based on declared tax returns, wealth statements, etc. Unfortunately, in Pakistan the state has to prove that an individual or a business group is involved in tax evasion or corruption. White-collar crime is the most difficult to prove even by the state before a court of law. The whole bureaucracy of this state is involved in a conspiracy to deprive the state of taxes and instead promote a black economy. There has never been an instance where the Federal Bureau of Revenue has provided privileges to those who pay taxes, nor has our National Assembly or Senate passed legislation for such purposes. Instead, what we hear is that every government during its tenure comes up with a scheme that provides attractive rewards with minimal taxation for those eager to launder their black money. The most recent is the ordinance issued by the president for yet another ‘money-laundering’ project. No wonder the government’s own NAB chairperson has stated that there is daily pilfering and corruption to the tune of Rs 5 billion. It has become a joke in this country that once people enter public life, they instantly win millions of rupees as in a prize bond. The system is geared to facilitate the black economy and protect the powerful corrupt elite and criminals. If an individual declared his total assets in the range of Rs 6.2 million in 2007, how in just four years do the assets of his family jump astronomically and the various villas that he or his family own have been gifted by his well wishers with no strings attached? ALI MALIK TARIQ Lahore