The people seem to want the establishment of a democratic government in the country as soon as possible so that their basic problems can be solved because the caretaker rulers are also following the footsteps of the two former political governments and is advancing the IMF program.
With the same exercise Sometimes gas is made expensive, occasionally electricity or increasing the net tax instead of reducing the income of salesmen and middlemen, taxes are imposed on retailers (retail vendors) whose burden is falling on the people.
Yesterday the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) increased the price of electricity per unit. NEPRA issued a notification to increase the price of electricity by 4 rupees 12 paisa per unit. According to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, electricity consumers will have to make additional payments in their January bills. Nepra has increased the price of electricity for Karachi by 2 rupees 87 paisa per unit which will put more burden on the pockets of common consumers.
On the other hand, on the request of the federal government the quarterly adjustment has already been increased by one rupee 25 paisa. Sources say that the increase on the request of the federal government will be applied to the electricity consumers of Karachi under the uniform tariff policy, the consumers of Karachi will pay only one rupee 25 paisa per unit.
In addition the decision to impose tax on retailers in 5 major cities of the country has been decided by the Federal Board of Revenue to impose tax on retailers in 5 major cities of the country. According to FBR sources retailers in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. 100 billion rupees revenue income is expected from taxation. Sources say that FBR has prepared a scheme for taxing 3.5 million retailers across the country.
In the first phase the retailers of Islamabad and the four provincial capitals will be taxed. It should be noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has imposed a condition to increase the tax net for providing credit to Pakistan and the sources say that the decision to impose tax on retailers is also a link in this chain.
According to the news published in the newspapers FBR has finalized the scheme of taxing retailers in the provincial capital Peshawar. In Peshawar City, Cantt, Town, Hayatabad, survey work has been completed regarding taxation on Rattlers. Sources have told that in the provincial capital of Peshawar, what is the fee for taxing more than 50,000 retailers by FBR? According to the scheme a tax will be levied on the size and annual income of the shop in Peshawar Cantt, Qisa Khwani, Khyber Bazar, University Road and other posh areas.
This tax will be collected on a monthly basis. Unregistered people are being brought into the tax net in Peshawar. The survey about unregistered people in Peshawar has been finalized. Retailers whose shop size is small will be taxed less but all retailers will be taxed.
Sources said that Namak Mandi, Sabzi Mandi, People Mandi, Ashraf Road, Hashtangri, GT Road, Haji. Surveys have been completed in this regard at various places in the city, including Charsadda Road. It would be a good move if these taxes are levied honestly and deposited in the public treasury with the condition that food items will not become expensive for the common man as the number of tax evaders in the country is very low.
But this does not necessarily mean that small-scale shopkeepers should be brought into the tax net first, rather good governments first put their hands on big capitalists that tax evasion should stopped. But here the “Ganga” flows in reverse.
It is also a good thing that the government is going to do some work, so it will be better if big stores are targeted among these retailers as well. Besides if electricity prices are controlled at least till the coming general elections there will be no more burden on the people.
