Islamabad: A delegation of chairmen of Senators of Senate Standing Committees visited FPCCI Capital Office Islamabad to meet the office bearers of FPCCI and the representatives of Chambers of Commerce and trade associations of Sindh, Punjab, KPK provinces, Federal Area, and Gilgit Baltistan to hold a pre-budget discussion on the budget proposals of FPCCI.
The meeting was attended by a large number of members of FPCCI and representatives from trade bodies prominently Khwaja Shahzeb Akram Senior Vice President, Qurban Ali Chairman Capital Office, Mian Anjum Nisar, former President FPCCI, Coordinator Mirza Abdul Rehman, and Muhammad Ali Mian while the Senator Talha Mehmood who is also Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs along with other Senator Abdul Qadir Khan, Senator Kamil Ali Agha and Former Federal Minister Shiekh Waqas Akram and other attended meeting and shared their views.
On this occasion, Mian Anjum Nisar, former President FPCCI gave a detailed briefing to the participants regarding the budget proposals sent to the government by FPCCI.
Speaking on the occasion, the FPCCI office-bearers said that the business community is the real taxpayer. They said that the taxpayers are treated with high respects all over the world and they feel proud of being taxpayers. But in Pakistan the situation is inverse and taxpayers feel disappointed as they are facing high markup rates, high tariff of electricity/gas, and other high costs of doing business as compare to other regional countries. Moreover, every year in the new budget, the existing taxpayers are charged more taxes by the tax authorities instead of expanding the tax net.
Taxpayers are always targeted by the tax authorities resultantly those people who are out of the tax net always reluctant to come into the tax net. They stressed on making reforms in the tax system and FBR particularly with reference to the honor/status and relief to the taxpayers, making the business easier and providing the best level playing field and a free hand to the business community. If the government wants improvement in foreign exchange, employment opportunities and improvement in the economic situation of the country, the business community should be given free hand. The business community demanded the government’s Special packages in all sectors as announced for Construction Sector. They further said that let them play their role in promoting Pakistan’s economic development, trade, and investment.
Speaking on the occasion, Senator Talha Mahmood, Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Finance, said that only the business community can fix the country’s economic crunch but officially they are not treated in a good manner and called with different tags in the society. There is a trust deficit between the business community and tax authorities. The government cannot collect taxes forcefully from them and have to create a friendly respectable atmosphere.
He said that the rebates and refunds are the right and trust of the business community in the hand of the government, it should be returned immediately. Business community suggestions should be made an integral part of the budget because they are direct stakeholders.
Chairman Standing Committee on Petroleum Senator Abdul Qadir Khan, Chairman Standing Committee on Functional Committee Kamil Ali Agha said that they will resolve the problems of business community on priority basis. All the members of the Senate will work together with the FPCCI for the economic development of Pakistan. They said that the government makes laws while the policies are made by people who are neither stakeholders nor have any business but are salaried people who completely ignore the problems of the business community. He said respect and status should be given to the taxpayer So that the other people who are out of tax net can motivated to join the tax net.