For Pakistan, savings are more important than increasing taxes

Chitral: The general impression given by the government is that Pakistanis do not pay taxes therefore development cannot be carried out effectively. This may not be all true.

Pakistan has always been getting ample money one way or the other. Whether in the form of IMF loans, grants from the US for fighting it’s war, aid and grants from different rich friendly countries etc. Besides this there has always been reasonable taxes levied on each and everything of everyday use, from petroleum to basic food items to cold drinks to a match box etc etc and all of it was burdened on the entire population irrespective of income status. The poor have always been paying their part of tax compared to what they have been getting from the government.

It is unfair to compare the amount of taxes deducted from Pakistanis to that deducted from individuals in developed countries. In such countries the amount of facilities given to the citizen are a hundred times better than in Pakistan because all the tax money is spent on them. In Pakistan the indirect tax deducted from an individual is more than enough for the shanty services that are provided. Then why do we cry of spiraling loans? Why are we always in the deficit. The million dollar answer to this question is that we do not spend our money judiciously.

Every one who can lay hands on government money considers it a war booty (maal e ghanimat). Whether the party coming to power or the bureaucracy or any one who can, never misses to rape Pakistan’s economy. Therefore the plea by Prime minister Imran Khan to pay more taxes should be re-prioritized to read “save more for a better Pakistan”.

A simple austere and thrifty Pakistan would be far better with present resources than a Pakistan striking a mountain of gold or discovering a sea of oil but continuing with the existing money management.

It is therefore imperative that the priority of the government changes to look at where can we save and plug holes of wastefulness. An honest, effective powerful and committed accountability system is far more important than any tax collecting mechanisms and the government should invest in the same more than anything else. .. CN report, 05 Jul 2019

One thought on “For Pakistan, savings are more important than increasing taxes

  1. True. Pakistan has always had enough money in one way or the other. if not from taxes then from other sources like alms, grants, gifts, loans etc. Why was all this money not utilised for the betterment of the economy? What is the guarantee that money collected through taxes will not meet the same fate?.

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