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    Oct 26 - Blaming Taxpayers

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    ZainabChandio
    The editorial criticizes the prime minister's special assistant for revenue for blaming taxpayers for Pakistan's low tax base. While acknowledging that tax evasion is a problem, the editorial argues that the real issue is the tax collection agency's (FBR) corruption and culture of periodic tax amnesties. It notes that the ruling party itself has contributed to the problem by politicizing tax efforts and offering its own amnesties, showing it lacks a vision beyond blame for solving Pakistan's tax issues. The editorial concludes the assistant resorted to blame due to his party's inability to address the country's low tax base.

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    Oct 26 - Blaming Taxpayers

    Uploaded by

    ZainabChandio
    13 views1 page
    The editorial criticizes the prime minister's special assistant for revenue for blaming taxpayers for Pakistan's low tax base. While acknowledging that tax evasion is a problem, the editorial argues that the real issue is the tax collection agency's (FBR) corruption and culture of periodic tax amnesties. It notes that the ruling party itself has contributed to the problem by politicizing tax efforts and offering its own amnesties, showing it lacks a vision beyond blame for solving Pakistan's tax issues. The editorial concludes the assistant resorted to blame due to his party's inability to address the country's low tax base.

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    Blaming Taxpayers

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    The editorial criticizes the prime minister's special assistant for revenue for blaming taxpayers for Pakistan's low tax base. While acknowledging that tax evasion is a problem, the editorial argues that the real issue is the tax collection agency's (FBR) corruption and culture of periodic tax amnesties. It notes that the ruling party itself has contributed to the problem by politicizing tax efforts and offering its own amnesties, showing it lacks a vision beyond blame for solving Pakistan's tax issues. The editorial concludes the assistant resorted to blame due to his party's inability to address the country's low tax base.

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    13 views1 page

    Oct 26 - Blaming Taxpayers

    Uploaded by

    ZainabChandio
    The editorial criticizes the prime minister's special assistant for revenue for blaming taxpayers for Pakistan's low tax base. While acknowledging that tax evasion is a problem, the editorial argues that the real issue is the tax collection agency's (FBR) corruption and culture of periodic tax amnesties. It notes that the ruling party itself has contributed to the problem by politicizing tax efforts and offering its own amnesties, showing it lacks a vision beyond blame for solving Pakistan's tax issues. The editorial concludes the assistant resorted to blame due to his party's inability to address the country's low tax base.

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    Blaming taxpayers

    EDITORIAL PUBLISHED Oct 26, 2016 02:00am


    THE reason given for the low tax base of the country by the prime ministers special assistant for
    revenue has to be rejected outright. According to Mr Haroon Akhtar, people themselves are to
    blame for the states lax revenue effort because there is widespread evasion, the self-assessment
    scheme is misused and tax notices are seen as harassment. It is true that there is a culture and
    mindset of tax evasion in this country, and the deep mistrust that exists between citizens and the
    state greatly complicates the task of broadening the tax base. But the tax effort is not a voluntary
    programme in any country, and governments are reasonably expected to advance the revenue
    interest of the state in spite of stiff opposition from vested interests in addition to the nimble efforts
    of the citizenry to evade and subvert the effort.
    Mr Akhtar was probably trying to tell his audience of business leaders to be more forthcoming about their
    tax affairs, and complain a little less. But his tactless phrasing caused the message to miss its mark.
    Indeed, people are reluctant to pay taxes, but the real problem is the non-enforcement of tax rules. The
    FBR is seen as corrupt, and a culture of periodic amnesties and ad hoc exemptions has helped create the
    negative attitude Mr Akhtar referred to. The PML-N itself has contributed to the problem by politicising
    the tax efforts of previous governments, and then walking down the same path, bypassing parliament to
    implement key decisions and offering amnesties of its own once in power. The only reason Mr Akhtar
    came to the conference with no vision beyond a simple blame game is because his own party is at a loss
    on how to broaden the countrys tax base. This is the main reason why he had little option but to assign
    blame. Recourse to such language and narratives sets into motion a destructive series of exchanges.
    Surely, people in official positions ought to exercise greater care.
    Published in Dawn October 26th, 2016

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