Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said money laundering poses a serious threat to the country and that drastic measures are required to check the menace. Chairing a high-level meeting to review progress on efforts being made to curb money laundering, the prime minister directed all the stakeholders to double their efforts in countering the practice by ensuring that criminals indulged in such practices do not go scot-free. The prime minister observed that personal coffers are filled abroad through illegal practice of money laundering, which has not only seriously harmed the country but also sent the nation into a quagmire of debts. The people involved in money laundering do not deserve any concession, he added. The secretary interior briefed the prime minister about the progress on the steps taken so far to check money laundering. He also briefed about the administrative and legislative steps being taken specifically regarding the money laundering. Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem, Special Assistant to PM on Accountability Shehzad Akber, Director General ISI Lt Gen Syed Asim Munir, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairmen, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) director general, provincial home secretaries and other senior officials attended the meeting. Separately, addressing a ceremony held at the PM Office to give awards to large taxpayers, the prime minister said the change of mindset about wealth creation, promotion of tax culture and enhanced tax collection by bringing the elite into tax net are vital for country’s economic viability. “Like Darwin’s theory of ‘Survival of Species’ which calls for adabtability, Pakistan will have to change itself. Around 1.7 million income tax filers cannot bear the burden of 210 million of population,” he said. The prime minister regretted the gnawing chasm between the toiling masses and the elite club, and called for according the highest honour to regular taxpayers and filers who are contributing to the country’s development. He said the government will ensure that the money paid by taxpayers is not spent on the extravagance of the ruling elite. The prime minister said the government through reforms in the tax system and good governance can take the annual revenue collection to Rs 8,000 billion from the current over Rs 4,000 billion. He noted that those contributing to the country’s development through their taxes should be treated as VIPs as these are the people who deserve such a status. Terming change in the mindset to pay taxes and creation of tax culture as vital for getting out of the financial woes, he warned if mindset is not changed, the country’s situation will become murkier in future. Earlier, the prime minister also distributed awards among top nine taxpayers in three categories including companies, association of persons and individuals. Minister for Finance Asad Umar and Minister of State for Revenue Hamad Azhar also spoke on the occasion. Published in Daily Times, February 21st 2019.