Fiscal sovereignty – only for the rich
Published in The News on November 7, 2013
This refers to Mosharraf Zaidi's article, ‘Fiscal
sovereignty for Pakistan’ (November 6). If Pakistan “begins to dramatically
increase revenue by raising taxes”, as he recommends, only the poor and
middle-class will have to bear the brunt of this increase.
The filthy rich
will continue to be exempted, since they sit in parliament and decide that they
do not have to pay taxes. A big chunk of the taxpayers' money will go into
secret Swiss bank accounts and purchase of expensive watches and property in
foreign countries. The government should begin by punishing smugglers, tax
evaders, and electricity and gas thieves, even if they are parliamentarians or
their relatives and friends. But knowing that such people invariably vote for
both of the two major political parties, I strongly doubt that the government
will take any step against them. It will continue raising taxes by increasing
prices of petrol, electricity and gas, and the common man will continue to
suffer.
Shakir Lakhani
Karachi
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