LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Finance, Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha has said that e-courts are being launched in all districts of the Punjab under Punjab Revenue Authority Appellant Tribunal for the facility of tax payers. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is being signed for transparent receipts of sales tax in all branches of Bank of Punjab.
She said that in consultation with all stakeholders of the province including political personalities, bureaucracy, tax collecting agencies, economists, traders, community and students, such a tax policy is being prepared which will protect public interests along with government institutions.
She further said that health, education, transport, infrastructure, reduction in energy crisis, business opportunities, provision of potable water and better law and order situation facilities are the result of that confidence of the people in the provincial government which is being reposed by them in tax payment.
Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha expressed these views while addressing a ceremony regarding tax day held under the aegis of Punjab Revenue Authority. She said that the aim of observing tax day is to highlight the importance and need of tax in performance of state affairs and apprising the citizens of performing this national obligation.
She said that tax is right of government and payment of tax is duty of the people, however, it does not mean that undue burden be put on taxpayers on behalf of the government. That is why, all provincial agencies including Punjab Revenue Authority will bringing those people in tax net who were not paying their tax. She said that a modern computerized system is being introduced for making tax receipts system foolproof so that possibilities of tax theft and leakage could be eliminated.
Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman, Chief Secretary Punjab Capt. (R) Zahid Saeed, First Secretary of German Embassy Islamabad, Chairman PRA Raheel Ahmed Siddiqui, Chief Executive Punjab IT Board Umer Saif, President Lahore Chamber of Commerce Abdul Basit and President Bank of Punjab Naeem ud Din were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that Punjab has made unprecedented progress during the last eight years and its credit goes to Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif who through his revolutionary vision, has introduced modern system of governance not only in tax but also in every public sector and discourage corruption. He said that Excise & Taxation department is putting a big share in resources of the province through tax collection from different sectors. He said that the receipts of the department have increased 300 percent and there is a need of further hard work for relying on our own resources. He said that now people will not have to visit Excise office for the payment of their tax but the system of recoveries has been made online.
Earlier, Finance Minister also participated in a seminar regarding tax day. The participants of the ceremony included Pakistan Tax Bar, Punjab Tax bar, Lahore Chamber of Commerce, Tax Agencies of Sindh, KPK and Baluchistan besides economists from commerce colleges and universities were also present on the occasion.
