ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said on Saturday that the budget for fiscal year 2015-16 will only facilitate the privileged class.
Addressing a post-budget press conference on Saturday, Khan said that there should be at least 15 percent hike in salaries of government employees. “Secretary level officials have been given a 100 percent raise while the lower grade employees have got only 7.5 percent hike,” he lamented.
The PTI chief said that more taxes have been applied on poor public while government failed to arrest thieves of electricity and gas.
Imran Khan said that in real democracy like western countries, government takes money from rich and give it to poor but in Pakistan poor are not being benefitted. He said that there is a class in Pakistan from whom government have never thought to recover taxes.
He said that government must bring the rich class into tax next. Out of total 180 million people, only 800, 000 people pay taxes, he said.
“The government should impose tax on capital gains for property and real estate business.” “Those who don’t pay income tax, should be made to pay property tax,” he suggested.
He said that there are 32 lac people not paying taxes and there is dire need to make plans of recovery from them. PTI chairman said that giving relief in sales tax will help formers because fertilizers and seed will be economical for them.
Talking about the increment in the salaries of government employees, Imran Khan said that the increment is just 7.5% while it should have been 15%. He said that Pakistan’s money is going abroad but rulers are not concerned because their own money is in foreign banks.
Imran Khan said that government should spend money on Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in order to make it clear of politics because as long as there is politics inside that department, there is no hope of its working fair and transparent.
“It is unfair that someone like me who is from the privileged class has to pay the same amount of GST which a poor.” He further said increase in GST will further burden the poor class.
He said tax to GDP Ratio has declined acc to government’s own figures. The rich class has been given exemptions through SROs.
He demanded that government reduce the price of diesel by Rs18 to uplift farmers. NNI