Prime Minister Imran Khan said yesterday that bringing about change was a continuous struggle that one can retire from only at death.
Addressing digital media representatives in Islamabad, the premier said ‘change’ was not a switch that could be turned on at one’s whim.
The prime minister said that out of 220 million people in Pakistan only 3,000 pay 70% taxes.
“Half of the taxes we [the government] collect go in debt settlement of loans taken by previous governments,” the prime minister reiterated.
“My life would be a lot easier if I give the opposition the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), but it would be disastrous for Pakistan,” he said.
Khan added the country was at a turning point. “Our exports were growing, the construction industry is thriving,” he said, adding the service industry was still in crisis all over the world at the moment.
“When you cut expenses, you bring down the demand,” he said.
On January 5, it was reported that filing of income tax returns (ITRs) has improved significantly during tax year 2020, according to a statement issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
“Around 1.768 million taxpayers filed their income tax returns before the deadline, that is, December 8, 2020 while revenue received by FBR stood at Rs22 billion by this date,” it said.
“The number of filers has further increased to 2.316 million while tax collection rose to Rs43.6 billion till January 4, 2021, as compared to 2.181 million filers and collection of Rs28 billion during the corresponding period of the previous year, showing an increase of 55% in tax collection in current year.”
The number of income tax returns filed after the deadline of December 8, 2020 stood at 0.547 million and tax collection amount clocked in at Rs22 billion.
CANDID: u201cChange is not a switch that could be turned on at one’s whim,u201d said the PM.
