A mixed report card
This writer is the former editor of The Express Tribune and can be reached @Tribunian
For any government in Pakistan, one of the biggest challenges has been tax collection and reform. Part of the issue is fixing the tax collecting mechanism and the other is to promote a tax paying culture. Pakistanis, in many instances, are willing to bribe their way to stay out of the tax net. It will take more than one committed administration to change that culture.
A report recently released by an independent think tank tells us that with half of its five-year life over, the present government has fared only slightly better than its predecessors. The Policy Research Institute of Market Economy in its review of tax reforms under the PTI government looks at the last two and a half years from August 2018 when the party came to power. It notes that of the 10 promised tax reform related targets set by the government, only one has been fully achieved. But the good news is that
Govt misses tax reform targets
In last 2.5 years, out of 10 promised targets, only one has been fully achieved
PM says national economy is getting stable by the day PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
In the first half of its five-year constitutional term, the government has made very little progress towards achieving 10 electoral promises about reforming tax system, ending corruption in tax machinery and moving towards more equitable taxation, says a report of an independent think tank.
Over the last two and a half years, out of the 10 promised tax reforms related targets, one has been fully achieved, according to a review of tax reforms under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government by the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME). The PTI came to power in August 2018.