Amnesty scheme – a slap on the face of those who pay taxes: Asad Umer

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umer on Friday said that the tax reforms package and an amnesty scheme for undeclared assets announced by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was a slap on the face of those who pay their taxes. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, he declared the amnesty scheme an economic bloodshed. On the other hand, the economic analysts have said that benefit was being provided to those having black money. They said that the scheme would benefit only the tax evaders. Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had announced a major tax reforms package envisaging substantial reduction in income tax rates and launching of an amnesty scheme for undeclared assets. The Prime Minister said at present only 1.2 million people are filer income tax return out of a population of 207 million. He said of 1.2 million filers, only seven hundred thousands are paying tax while others only filed returns and paid no income tax. Prime Minister Abbasi expressed the confidence that the substantial reduction in income tax rate would serve as incentive for people to pay tax, adding that the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number would now be the tax number of the citizens.