Simplest & meaningful tax-bailout
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqAs mentioned in the last column [Tax bailout for economic revival, Business Recorder, April 17, 2020], all businesses—badly hit by lockdown in the wake of Covid-19 epidemic and due to sluggish economic activities, high utility…
Intentions vs. reality
Huzaima Bukhari“Good intentions and grand theories do not make a good programme. Programmes work best when they’re based on a detailed understanding of the problem and how they are implemented on the ground”—Abhijeet BanerjeeEvery day we come across someone telling…
Tax bailout for economic revival
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqAccording to various Press reports, all businesses in Pakistan, as elsewhere, badly hit by lockdown in the wake of Covid-19 epidemic, are demanding a comprehensive tax bailout claiming that loan facility announced by State Bank…
Corona-toll, negative taxation & charity
Dr. Ikramul HaqMuch before Covid-19 outbreak, the widening income and wealth disparities were highlighted in these columns with solutions to bridge the growing rich-poor divide, but no government paid any heed. During the rule of General Pervez Musharraf [October 12,…
Incentive-package for construction industry
Amnesty, tax breaks & multiple reliefsHuzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqThe Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, in a Press conference on April 3, 2020, thinly attended by journalists after the bitter experience of March 24, 2020, announced what is…
Dismantling “sweet” cartelisation
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqIt is unprecedented in the country’s history that preliminary reports into sudden price hike of these commodities were released without alteration and action will be taken against those responsible for sugar and wheat price hike…
Self-serving tax waivers
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqIn tax laws, many statutory regulatory orders (SROs) create discriminations among people equally placed, favour the influential segments of society and open avenues of corruption. Through SROs, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) provides “legal”…
Robber barons, oligarchy & oppressed
Dr. Ikramul HaqThe economic misery of millions of Pakistanis in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, monopoly of State oligarchy on resources and abuse of robber barons of their position in power to fleece the masses and get extraordinary benefits have…
Corona-crisis: A wake-up call?
Huzaima Bukhari“Death is the final wake-up call”—Douglas HortonSpecialized training of income tax for probationary officers who qualified the Civil Services Competitive Examination of 1983, took place during 1985 and 1986. Yours faithfully was one of them. This is the era…