Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that the government wants to bring about fiscal and financial reforms by reforming General Sales Tax system. Talking to Radio Pakistan, he said that the government wants to rehabilitate flood-hit people by collecting revenue through Flood Tax.
He added that as far as Reformed General Sales Tax is concerned, it is imperative for the development of the country as our tax-GDP ratio is almost between nine and 10 percent, which is insufficient for the survival of the society.
Kaira said government is trying its best to reduce the losses of Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs). He highlighted that Water and Power Development Authority faced the biggest loss among the PSEs, which is Rs 256 billion and amount of rental power is not included in it. He said that reforms of PSEs would take time, but at the same time, we have to reform our taxation system. The minister said agricultural taxation is a provincial subject and the federal government has introduced it by taxing the agricultural inputs.
He said that Pakistan People's Party (PPP) came to power through ballot and it has to take decisions in the interest of people and the country. He said the security situation of the region is a cause for deteriorating tourism and investment.
Kaira said that government has addressed all issues including war on terror, adding that tourism cannot be promoted till we win 'war on terror'. He further said government has introduced administrative and constitutional reforms and addressed issues of federation and labourers and now the fiscal reforms are underway. He clarified that the government has objections over the procedure adopted by Transparency International in its research and not on the NGO itself.