Budget 2020: innovative taxation
Dr. Ikramul HaqA good tax system is one that raises money with minimal distortion to the economy. In Pakistan, oppressive, unfair and complex tax system is the main cause of many distortions in economy. Budget 2020, expected on June 12,…
Covid-19 crisis—Budget 2020
Economic revival & IT sectorHuzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqIn the aftermath of Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown, now gradually being lifted in Pakistan, the debate about untapped potential of Information Technology (IT) sector has assumed renewed interest. It has also…
Constitutionality of SROs
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqThe federal and provincial tax codes of Pakistan contain numerous exemptions and concessions while many are added, modified or withdrawn through executive orders, called statutory regulatory orders (SROs). These exemptions and concessions have not only…
Budget 2020
Simple & fair taxation for retailers Dr. Ikramul HaqThe outcome of a meeting between Prime Minister and the business community on January 20, 2020 as expected ended with just clichés like “facilitation”, “concessions” and “waivers” etc. Prime Minister reiterated: “taxation…
Budgets 2020 amid Covid-19 crisis—II
Need for paradigm shiftHuzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqIn the present circumstances, in the forthcoming federal budget, the need for a fair and simple tax system, as elaborate in Towards Flat, Low-rate, Broad and Predictable Taxes [PRIME Institute, 2016] and…
Etymological shenanigans
Huzaima Bukhari“Nobody has monopoly over jahaalat—a highly educated person can be highly jaahil whereas a person who never attended any educational institution can be just the opposite”—Dr. Ikramul HaqCommunication is an important matter for all living beings but humans stand…
Budgets 2020 amid Covid-19 pandemic
Dr. Ikramul HaqThe Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, in a Press Release issued on May 18, 2020, noted that while preparing the next budget, “we should be more vigilant, practical, and analyze the…
PIDE: Fixing tax policy
Dr. Ikramul Haq“Simplify taxes, reduce the cost of excessive documentation, open the economy for higher growth and employment, taxes will then increase….Not only is our tax policy not based on conceptual clarity, it is also being changed continuously to meet…
Taxes, not charity!
Huzaima Bukhari“We don’t do charity in Germany. We pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments’ responsibilities”—Henning When, a German stand-up comedianImagine a middle-class household of six, comprising parents, three grown-up healthy boys and the youngest, a physically incapacitated girl…