LAHORE: Rejecting the proposal to impose new taxes on the common man in the forthcoming budget, Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz said on Friday that instead of imposing new taxes, providing relief to the common man should be focused while expanding the tax base of the affluent.

While presiding over the meeting of the resource mobilisation committee, the CM made it clear that his government does not want to burden them.

He declared that resolution of the problems of the downtrodden is a priority and invited to suggest out-of-the-box measures, including consulting the stakeholders, to increase the provincial resources.

Provincial Ministers Sardar Awais Leghari, Atta Tarar, Kh Salman Rafiq, MPAs namely Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Zeeshan Rafiq, SMBR, secretaries of finance, local government and excise departments, Punjab revenue, economists and others were also present.

Moreover, while chairing a video link meeting of price control committees, commissioners, deputy commissioners and DPOs, the CM said that a comprehensive plan of action has been chalked out, to curb price-hike and hoarding and tasks have been assigned to price control committees and deputy commissioners across the province.

He directed to hold daily price control committee meetings in DC offices across the province. It was decided in principle to set up a committee to reduce the prices of tandoori roti and naan and the CM directed that a uniform price list should be displayed at shops, stalls and markets.

Welcoming the decision of wholesale dealers of Faisalabad who announced not to take profit on pulses, the CM said it was commendable for the business community to support the government in its efforts to reduce price-hike in these unusual circumstances.

He also directed the ministers and political assistants to monitor their respective districts and said that the monitoring of inter-provincial transport of flour should be intensified.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022