PESHAWAR: Different political parties criticised government for imposing new taxes through a presidential ordinance, terming it an anti-people step. The chief of his own faction of Pakistan People`s Party, MNA Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, said in a statement on Wednesday that government was running its affairs through ordinances as it totally failed to resolve problems of people.
In the presence of parliament, he said, issuance of ordinances was insult of public mandate and an ample proof that government was busy in its face saving. He said that mini-budgets were worse than annual budget as all the new taxes were imposed to please International Monitory Fund and World Bank.He said that 15 per cent tax on income would badly affect business and agriculture in the country as prices of daily use commodities would go up with it, making lives of poor more miserable.Mr Sherpao said that government was unable to devise a plan to improve situation of security and economy in the country. The taxpayers were further overburdened, he added.
Instead of strengthening the tax basis, he said, such decisions would bring economiv activities in the country to a standstill. He said that Federal Bureau of Revenue had no role in strengthening of economy as it was only overburdening the nation.He said that two per cent increase in power tariff would raise price of electricity by 15 paisa per unit. He said that prices of petroleum products were increased dramatically and then reduced on instruction of coalition partners.Jamaat-i-Islami provincial general secretary Shabir Ahmed Khan in a separate statement also criticised government for imposing new taxes, saying such decisions would break backbone of poor. He said that the champions of democracy and roti, kapra, makan deprived people of livelihood and shelter. He said that his party would raise voice against the injustices.The JI leader alleged that rulers were only focusing on plundering national wealth and had nothing to do with the public services. “That`s why the prices of daily use commodities and petroleum products have been increased with short intervals – Dawn
