The PML-F’s parliamentary leader Jahangir Khan Tareen on Tuesday asked the government to say no to US aid being given to Pakistan under the Kerry Lugar Act. “Our self respect demands us to say no to $1.5 billion yearly tranche which in real terms is not more than $20 million per year under the notorious Kerry Lugar Act as the US congressmen point fingers at us and utter dirty words about our country in exchange of this monetary assistance,” he said while taking part in the budget debate in the National Assembly.
Tareen negated the impression that the agriculture sector was not paying taxes and only industrialists were sharing the burden. “In the budget 2011-12, the government has proposed sales taxes amounting to Rs 101 billion from which Rs 44 billion would be collected from the agriculture sector,” he said, adding that there would be Rs 35 billion sales tax on fertilizers, Rs 5 billion on tractors and Rs 2 billion will be generated by the government through sales tax on the pesticides. He said the taxes levied on the agriculture sector were unjust.
Tax on inputs is no argument not to have any tax on income derived through agriculture… Using JT’s argument salaried persons should not be taxed as they pay taxes on fuel, transport etc etc!! We surely need to bring those into the tax net that earn above a certain amount from whatever source…
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