'Efforts on to reduce trade deficit, increase tax revenues'

Rana Muhammad Afzal, MNA and Parliamentary Secretary Finance, has said the government was making strenuous efforts to reduce trade deficit and increase tax revenues to provide maximum funds for development and public welfare. He was addressing the members of Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association. He said the government is in a tight position and revenue collection is not fulfilling the target hence government is looking for new avenues for tax revenue collection.
He said that one percent increase in tax yields Rs 230 billion revenue. The government is making strenuous efforts to strengthen the economy and welfare of people in transparent manner. He said the government was striving for equal distribution of taxes for all regions of the country, adding the government was facing difficulty in fulfilling revenue targets hence it was duty of all businessmen and traders to discharge their responsibilities of paying their due taxes.
He said that many countries of the world were ready to help Pakistan to save it from becoming a victim of terrorism but we don't want charity and will make our nation stand on its own feet by augmenting and appropriately utilising our own resources. He assured the members that he would be ready to solve their problems and irritants with bureaucracy.
Earlier, Abaidullah Sheikh Chairman Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association welcoming the guest apprised him of the problems businessmen was confronted with. He said the FBR was unnecessarily harassing the traders by asking details of their trade turnover in bank accounts.