The first meeting of the National Tax Council (NTC) was held on Wednesday to harmonise taxes and reduce the cost of doing business in the country. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin presided over the NTC meeting, according to a press statement issued by the finance ministry. Speaking on the occasion, the finance minister stressed upon the need for greater cooperation between the federal and the provincial governments in matters relating to harmonization of general sales tax (GST). He expressed the hope that under the NTC umbrella, both the federal and provincial governments would move towards harmonizing taxes across the multiple jurisdictions so as to facilitate the businesses and reduce the cost of doing business in Pakistan.