Debt, taxes & self-reliance
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The perpetual failure to tap the actual tax potential, which is not less than Rs. 8 trillion, has forced the successive governments to rely more and more on external and internal borrowings, pushing the…
TAX AMNESTY SCHEME 2000: AN ANALYSIS
By Dr. Ikramul Haq* I. INTRODUCTION The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) in its Circular No. 4 of 2000 dated 1st March, 2000, issued under Section 59D of the Income Tax Ordinance, 1979, unveiled yet another tax amnesty scheme…
The Politics of Loan Write Offs
By Dr. Ikramul Haq* The country’s banks and other financial institutions wrote off a staggering amount of over Rs 30 billion during the governments of Muhammad Khan Junejo, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Two-thirds of the total loans – Rs….
Judges and accountability
Dr. Ikramul Haq The process of accountability must start from those who judge others. Any process of accountability lacking credibility and transparency is bound to fail, even bounce back. For sustainable democracy, accountability of all through an impartial and competent…
Income Tax base – Myth & Reality
By Dr. Ikramul Haq* The Central Board of Revenue has been consistently and persistently claiming that tax base of Pakistan is disappointingly narrow and majority of the people do not pay income tax. The reality is quite opposite. The people…
When work is worship
Huzaima Bukhari All religions, whether Godly or man-made, prescribe sets of rituals that signify essential elements of their tenets. One can easily identify followers of a particular religion from the way they perform their rites and observe their customs. Similarly,…
Corrupt body politics
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq All public power is a sacred trust, which is to be exercised fairly, justly, honestly and in accordance with law—Supreme Court in Workers’ Party Pakistan & Others v Federation of Pakistan & Others PLD…
Urgent tax reforms
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq It is clear by now that the government of Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI), like its predecessors, has no definite action plan for tax reforms that were promised in its ‘First 100-Day Agenda’. The modus operandi…
HOW TO DISPENSE WITH OPPRESSIVE TAX SYSTEM
By Ikramul Haq* Over the last many years, the need for tax reforms is stressed and reiterated by all quarters including the Government itself. However, each attempt in this direction during the last several decades proved to be a complete…