Passage of RGST bill, flood surcharge: government doesn't have required number of votes: PML-N

The government does not have required number of votes in the National Assembly and Senate to get approved the much criticised Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) bill and flood surcharge from the Parliament, a central PML-N leader Pervez Malik MNA told Business Recorder here on Saturday.
The Standing Committees on Finance of the two houses of the parliament are going to take up the bill tomorrow (Monday) separately to prepare their reports for consideration of the National Assembly and Senate. The government tabled the Reformed General Sales Tax Bill and 10 percent flood surcharge in both houses of parliament on 12 November despite staunch opposition by its coalition partners and opposition in the National Assembly and Senate for implementing conditions agreed with the IMF to qualify for the next tranche of $1.7 billion.
Malik said besides the opposition parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PML-Quaid in the NA and the Senate coalition partners of the government -Muttahida Qaumi Movement and ANP have also strongly opposed the proposed legislation and the flood surcharge.
Malik said PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif has already proposed to the government that instead of levying new taxes of about R 60 to 70 billion rupees on the hard pressed common man, the government should reduce the financial losses of about Rs 250 to 300 billion being incurred by the public sector enterprises like Pakistan Steel Mills, PIA, Pakistan Railways etc every year to improve its financial health.
He said PML-N wants to expand the tax base and improve the revenue collection to meet the budget deficit. However, he said that the government should also impose agriculture income tax on the big landlords who are not contributing to the national exchequer.
PML-N leader termed the RGST and flood surcharge as futile exercise as it would not be cleared by the respective finance committees of the two houses. It may be added that besides the political parties and coalition partners of the government all the chambers of commerce and industry of the country have unanimously rejected the RGST bill.