Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formally launched unique and first of its kind Amanat Scheme for promoting tax culture in the province. In this regard, first balloting of Amanat Scheme was held under Restaurant Invoice Monitoring System (RIMS) arranged by Punjab Revenue Authority at the chief minister office, on Sunday.
Addressing the function held in connection with first balloting of Amanat Scheme, the chief minister said that Punjab government has introduced a unique scheme to promote tax culture in the province. He said that launch of this scheme on Tax Day is a good step which will result in the promotion of tax culture in the province as maintenance of law and order, provision of basic amenities to the citizens and tax collection is the responsibility of the state, adding that the states that discharge these three responsibilities efficiently are considered successful.
The chief minister said that with the cooperation of people, this new system will be promoted so that the sources received through tax could be spent on provision of education, health, potable water and other facilities to the people.
He said that Punjab government has introduced unique scheme of voluntarily tax collection first time in the history of the country through motivational steps under which precious prizes are being given to tax payer citizens through balloting. He said it is a good omen that under this new system, more than two hundred thousand receipts were deposited within a few days. People from other provinces and districts of Punjab are also asking through calls to launch it in their province or city which is a proof to the success of the scheme, he added.
Sharif said that citizens should discharge their responsibility and get prizes through receipts from restaurants.
The Amanat scheme is transparent and equipped with digital technology. This scheme will be promoted through awareness campaign which will strengthen tax culture, he said. Shehbaz Sharif said that taxes are very important for financial affairs of the government and provision of facilities to the people and payment of dues are also conditioned with recovery of taxes.
He said that there are flaws in tax collection system however, PML-N government has removed these flaws to a considerable extent and Punjab government has promoted transparent culture in the province.
Referring to Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project, Shehbaz Sharif said that it is a project of common man of Pakistan through which workers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, nurses, labourers, working women, widows and government employees will travel in a dignified manner. He said that metro train is decent source of travelling and will be executed speedily.
The chief minister said he will not tolerate that the elites of the country travel by costly vehicles and 95 per cent of the poor population by dilapidated buses.
MoU signed between Punjab departments:
At the end of the function, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Punjab Revenue Authority, Punjab Food Authority and Tourism Development Corporation Punjab under which, most affairs of the restaurant and hotel industry will be monitored by Punjab Food Authority.
The chief minister said that matters of tax collection will be looked after by Punjab Revenue Authority while Tourism Development Corporation will check the matters of promotion of tourism.
Under the MoU, all three institutions will ensure timely payment of taxes through departmental collaboration, and provision of food in accordance with hygiene principles, promotion of tourism industry will be ensured and the institutions will also do joint certification for the restaurants.
Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman while speaking on the occasion, said that it was a very important day with regard to promotion of tax culture, adding that the progress and prosperity of the people is impossible without increasing tax revenue. Punjab government has taken lead by launching restaurant invoice monitoring system, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha said that a tradition has been introduced for promoting tax culture in the province. She said that increase in revenue is vital for the provision of health, education, public transport and other services to the people of the province and that there is a need to promote culture of voluntary taxpaying.
The minister said that Punjab government has taken a step in the right direction by launching the scheme.
Punjab Revenue Authority Chairman Dr. Raheel Siddiqui highlighted new system and the Amanat scheme. He informed that this programme includes 90 restaurants and that the system will be expanded to all the districts of Punjab. He said that under restaurant invoice monitoring system, more than 300 prizes have been kept in first balloting which includes three vehicles, five Umrah tickets and five motorcycles. Punjab Information Technology Chairman Dr. Umer Saif highlighted the procedure of balloting of the Amanat scheme.