Covid-19: economic impact measures
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The 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 of critical questioning on many issues rather…
Simplest & meaningful tax-bailout
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq As 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…
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 Banerjee Every day we come across…
Tax bailout for economic revival
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq According 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…
Corona-toll, negative taxation & charity
Dr. Ikramul Haq Much 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…
Incentive-package for construction industry
Amnesty, tax breaks & multiple reliefs Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The 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…
Dismantling “sweet” cartelisation
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq It 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…
Self-serving tax waivers
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq In 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…
Robber barons, oligarchy & oppressed
Dr. Ikramul Haq The 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…