Every passing day of Ramadan is becoming difficult for the people, the main reason of which is the increasing inflation in the markets and the increase in taxes in the utility bills. Due to which it has become impossible for the people to eat food during Suhr and Iftar. It will not be an exaggeration if it is said that due to the ongoing wave of unemployment in the country, utility bills have worried the citizens the most.
New stories of applying new taxes in the price of electricity are also coming out. Yesterday, a well-known website has revealed that unequal tax has been applied to the consumers in the electricity bills, which the public is not even aware of. This revelation was made in the inquiry of the Federal Tax Ombudsman, according to which the consumers, especially the low-income earners, are bearing the burden of income tax and sales tax on their electricity bills.
The imposition of unequal and unfair taxes on the consumers has been revealed in the electricity bills. Electricity duty is imposed on the electricity bills regardless of the income of the consumers, which has no legal status. An inquiry by the Federal Tax Ombudsman has revealed that consumers, especially low-income earners, are bearing the burden of income tax and sales tax on their electricity bills.
Different taxes are levied on them despite their income being below the taxable income limit. Imposition of uniform electricity duty (ED) on consumers irrespective of their income, is a huge financial burden on the taxpayers. It is also known from the investigation that there are many discrepancies in the electricity duty by the provincial energy departments and the collected funds have been misused.
It should be noted that the Federal Tax Ombudsman has issued instructions to the FBR that the consumers a committee should be formed to protect the government from excessive taxes on electricity bills and to improve the implementation of taxes in the bills.
The President has decided to uphold the FTO directive which emphasizes the need to tackle the unfair burden of taxes on the citizens. Why has the tax been collected from the people and how will it be compensated? If the President is so concerned about his subjects, then he should also issue orders to adjust the above received electricity units.
On the other hand, after electricity, the ever-increasing inflation has also made the public triple the dance. Like all over the country, in the first decade of Ramadan, the storm of inflation continues in Peshawar, the provincial capital, and the sale of fruits and vegetables at high prices continues.
Local ghee has been made more expensive by twenty rupees per kg. Despite the passage of seven days, there was no significant reduction in prices. The district administration Peshawar offices are limited to there offices in Ramadan. The food department has completely failed. Buying fruits, vegetables, meat, chicken meat has become a dream for fasting people. Red onion does not exist in the city, fake work is being done by the district administration and the food department, but after that the people are being robbed by the traders with both hands while the official price list is not being implemented.
The common class is the most affected by this situation, which has opened the fortress of the relevant institutions and officials. In such a situation the provincial and district administrations need to take practical steps along with just conducting photo sessions and daily raids so that once action is taken in any market, it should be effective enough that at least For the next one month, no one can violate this and whoever is found guilty should be punished.
In fact, here one day the government takes action and the next day the same business starts again. It is hoped that the new provincial government will leave no stone unturned to solve this long-standing problem.
