Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said the government was firm to strengthen tax culture in the country for wealth creation to further spend on human development.

Addressing at the distribution of Rs30 billion refund cheques of sales and income tax among prominent exporters here at the Prime Minister Office, he urged the business community to consider paying taxes as their national duty.

The event was aimed at giving priority to the demands of the business community and to create a taxpayer-friendly environment for improvement of cash flow for taxpayers in general and for the export-oriented sector in particular.

The prime minister said a country with a weak tax collection system could not make progress economically.

He lauded the Federal Bureau of Revenue Chairman Shabbar Zaidi for taking effective steps for improved tax collection that registered an upward trend.

Imran Khan mentioned that the current account deficit was the biggest challenge at the time his government came in power last year, however, he said the efforts of the economic team resulted in the stabilization of the economy.

He said in four years, the country for the first time witnessed a surplus of current deficit account besides confidence of public had restored in the stock market and volumes of export had increased.

He said previous short-term policies and adhocism for political gains was the main reason behind the instability of the economy.

He said his government was inspired by China’s model of economic progress which was based on long-term policies and human development.

The prime minister said the country had rich gold and copper reserves, however, the disaster of corruption played havoc incurring billions of losses to the national exchequer.

In Karkey’s case, he said the government resolved the dispute with support of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adding that efforts were afoot to workout the Rs 900 billion damages imposed on the country in Reko Diq case.