Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Shaukat Tarin on Thursday claimed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has demanded the imposition of more taxes in the budget.
Addressing on the floor of the Senate, former finance minister Shaukat Tarin said that in the first phase IMF gave a budget proposal to the incumbent government and now the fund is asking the PML-N-led government to impose more taxes.
He further said that the economic survey was presented a few days ago, and was signed by the government. The survey showed that everything was left on the record level, but colorful speeches are being made in the Senate and the former PTI government is being blamed for the incompetence. When every sector was growing at a record level, how come the matter of bankruptcy is being raised, he asked.
Shaukat Tarin said that he would like to ask the present government what is the debt servicing cost? Where will the Rs200 billion GIDC be met? Rs750 billion Petroleum Development Levey (PDL) means the government has to increase taxes on petroleum products. “The actual budget will be unveiled now,” the ex-finance minister told the Senate after the money lender and Pakistan reached a “broad agreement” on the budgetary and fiscal measures for the next fiscal year (FY) 2022-23.
The PTI leader, speaking on the floor of the Senate, said the Upper House of the Parliament is fulfilling formalities by debating the budget as the “actual budget” will be presented in the National Assembly — after it is tuned in line with the IMF’s demands. The statement came hours after Finance Minister Miftah Ismail revealed in a press conference that the coalition government had imposed taxes on the rich in the budget for the next FY23.
