Daily Times

The business community Sunday called for bringing all identified 3.5m tax evaders and millions of other non-tax filers immediately into tax net for broadening base to provide relief to existing tax payers. Commenting on federal budget, Coordinator to Federal Tax Ombudsman and former Senior Vice President Lahore Chamber Meher Kashif Younis, members executive committee of chamber of commerce Shahid Nazir and Mufti Yousaf Shah said that draconian action must be taken against tax evaders and non-filers after a high-level impartial scrutiny preferably conducted by a third party. He lamented that 9.5 pc tax to GDP ratio in Pakistan is even less than other countries of South Asia whereas its 46.2pc in France,46.0pc in Denmark and 44.6pc in Belgium. He stressed the urgent need of broadening the tax base exclusively with new tax payers which he added is oxygen to strengthening of national economy.