Daily Times

Sir: Extended facility of Tax Amnesty Scheme has expired on July 31, 2018 without any further extension, yielding about Rs 122 billion into the national exchequer through some 70 thousand declarations of foreign and domestic undeclared and untaxed assets.

Those who have responded to this onetime tax amnesty scheme deserve to be appreciated, even if they have declared their local and foreign hidden assets on payment of 2 to 5 per cent tax only. Better late than never. However, this is to stress the dire need for launching of a massive crackdown on a pretty large number of Pakistanis who are still hiding their foreign and local assets without availing the facility of declaration under the just expired Tax Amnesty Scheme.

The crackdown against the apparently tax defaulters should be launched in a ruthless manner showing no concession or mercy to the defaulters who are guilty of depriving the national exchequer by continuing to hide their assets illegally and against the national interests. The number of such tax defaulters is likely to be in the thousands, despite about 70 thousand declarations under the Tax Amnesty Scheme. They need to be nabbed forthwith and punished under the laws of the land. Such tax defaulters, who otherwise continue to avail all facilities in an open or covert manner, do not need any mercy whatsoever. They are guilty of being dacoit of the national exchequer, and by still hiding their foreign and local undeclared assets under their white collars; it is job of the appropriate official agencies concerned to hunt them down, straight away, without wasting any more time.

MAH SHEIKH

Lahore

Published in Daily Times, August 3^rd 2018.