The Opposition in the Senate on Tuesday criticised the government for its move to impose new taxes on masses and strongly opposed the Reformed General Sales Tax Bill, 2010. While commenting on the Bill, Leader of Opposition in the Senate, Waseem Sajjad said the government should tighten it belt and reduce non-development expenditures instead of imposing taxes on the people of Pakistan.
He said that the government should reduce 50 percent expenditure of the Presidency, Prime Minister House and other institutions. "The government should set example by reducing its non-development expenditures and cut 50 percent of federal cabinet along with perks and privileges of the ministers. One minister is using four to five luxury land cruiser and limousines. The government itself should give sacrifice before asking people for sacrifice in the name of tax," he added.
He said that poverty has increased rapidly in the last three years. The people are already facing price hike and their lives are in miserable condition while the government is putting more burdens of taxes. He said that the prices of sugar, atta, pulses and other commodities of daily use have escalated. He said that people already paying heavy bills of electricity and gas while almost all the industries have been closed due to load shedding. Taxing people in these circumstances would be disastrous, he opined.
The opposition leader said that the previous government had brought Pakistan out of IMF programme. "If the government is committed, today we can run the country without IMF programme," he said. Waseem Sajjad said that the government also wants to impose tax on packed food items and computers. He said that the government should devise a formula to impose tax by differentiating among the poor and rich people.
Zafar Ali Shah of PML-N said that the people had rejected the bill. He said that the government must improve its efficiency and take measures to stop corruption of billions instead of imposing taxes. He said, "the PML-N will accept this Bill if the government fulfil the demand of MQM to impose agriculture tax."
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