Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The 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and provincial tax codes of Pakistan contain numerous exemptions and concessions while many are added, modified or withdrawn through executive orders, called statutory regulatory orders (SROs).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 eroded the tax base but have also contributed towards widening the rich-poor divide. These...Read More

Simple & fair taxation for retailers    Dr. Ikramul Haq The 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 is a key to revive national economy” and openlyadmitted that traders are excellent...Read More

Need for paradigm shift Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq In 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 referred to in PIDE Policy Viewpoint [16:2020] Doing Taxes Better: Simplify, Open &...Read More

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 Haq Communication is an important matter for all living beings but humans stand out as they are blessed to be endowed with the gift of speech...Read More

Dr. Ikramul Haq The 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 opportunities and challenges offered by the current environment”. He added that the “Government is...Read More

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 unrealistic targets. The tax rates are high and keep changing several times a year...Read More

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 comedian Imagine a middle-class household of six, comprising parents, three grown-up healthy boys and the youngest, a physically incapacitated girl requiring special attention. With the presence of such a person in the family,...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq An unusual decline in revenue collection and steep rise in current expenditures caused a deterioration in all major fiscal indicators during FY19. The overall budget deficit during the year stood at a historic high of 8.9 percent of GDP, which was also in excess of the 4.9 percent target...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones”—Albert Einstein One must admit that compared to Colin Powell, Albert Einstein was more optimistic as he had foreseen a scenario where the people of the world would be engaged in...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq Much before Covid-19 outbreak, the widening income and wealth disparities were highlighted by us in various 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, 1999 to August 18, 2008], a report by Centre...Read More