KARACHI: Pakistan Tax Bar Association (PTBA) has raised serious concerns about using taxpayers’ money and called for establishing a high-powered oversight committee to monitor government spending.

In a letter addressed to Syed Naveed Qamar, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance & Revenue, PTBA highlighted their apprehensions about what they described as unchecked government expenditure amid declining tax revenues and a depleting national exchequer.

The association highlighted large official foreign delegations, increasing non-development expenditure, and recent government employee salary revisions as areas of concern.

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“The taxpayer’s money is being used with no concern,” stated PTBA President Anwar Kashif Mumtaz and General Secretary Mohammad Rehan Siddiqui in a letter.

The proposed oversight committee would have unprecedented authority, requiring its approval for various government expenditures, including foreign delegation expenses and government salary enhancements.

The PTBA also emphasized the need for transparency in development projects, suggesting that each project should clearly define the amount of taxpayer money involved and the benefits for the public.

The request, made under Article 19A of the Constitution, seeks to establish a national-level committee that would give taxpayers direct involvement in monitoring public spending.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024