The mess that is traffic!
Huzaima Bukhari“If I complain about a traffic jam, I have no one to blame but myself”—Steve WynnAccording to government statistics as of 2021, total number of road accidents was 10,429 out of which4,721 were fatal, 5,708 were non-fatal, 5,816 deaths…
Law of binding precedents
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqIn view of the hierarchical character of the judicial system in Pakistan, it is of paramount importance that the law declared by courts should be certain, clear and consistent. Inconsistencies create distrust in the administration…
Legislative powers
Dr. Ikramul HaqLawmakers in Pakistan derive their legislative powers from the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan [“the Constitution”]. Any kind of legislation that includes imposition of levy of any tax, duty, fee, cess etc having extraterritorial impact and involving…
Bloom in economic gloom
Huzaima Bukhari“In a country well-governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of”—ConfuciusPakistan is presently caught in a vicious economic depression, thanks to the imprudent actions of its politico-civil-judicial-military…
FBR: Dwindling tax collection
Huzaima Bukhari, Dr. Ikramul Haq & Abdul Rauf Shakoori Pakistan has one of the world’s lowest tax ratios, stemming from five main weaknesses: complexity, a narrow tax base, low compliance, inefficient tax administration, and low and declining provincial tax revenues. Complexity…
2023: Year of Road to Prosperity
Dr. Ikramul Haq & Abdul Rauf ShakooriPunjab Revenue Authority (PRA) Chairman Zainul Abedin Saki has ruled out the possibility of creating one organisation—Pakistan Revenue Authority—in the name of the harmonisation of taxes. “If the federation and the provinces have the…
2023: Roadmap to prosperity
Dr. Ikramul HaqPathetic performance of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and provincial tax agencies in bridging the huge tax gap and wasteful expenses on the part of federal and provincial governments are badly affecting the fiscal scene. On the one…
2023: Disappointments & hopes
Huzaima Bukhari, Dr. Ikramul Haq & Abdul Rauf ShakooriYear 2022 is bidding farewell to Pakistan leaving behind some unpleasant memories, natural disaster in the form of floods as well as self-inflicted political instability and economic uncertainty. The negative outcomes of…
Tax policy for 2023
Dr. Ikramul Haq & Abdul Rauf ShakooriThe financial viability of any country is dependent on its revenue generation capacity. Governments collect revenues through various sources such as taxes on incomes and/or assets, consumption and transfer receipts from natural and artificial…