ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Chairman Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh said on Tuesday that the amnesty scheme launched by the government will provide huge benefits to businesses and improve the economic outlook of Pakistan.
He said this while talking to media persons at Press Information Department (PID) on Tuesday. He said that some sections of the media misreported his statement when he said, “I support the rejection of bills pertaining to the amnesty scheme.”
He said the committee had discussed the matter in detail and the ruling party member left the committee meeting and apart from me, there were only four members present. The members were Asad Umer, Rashid Godial and Nafeesa Ahmed Shah, he added. He also said that they rejected the amnesty scheme bill, adding that he never patronised their statement.
Shaikh further said that he had been lobbying for this scheme for the past two years and it was impossible to go against it. He further said that the scheme would immensely benefit Pakistan’s economy.
He also said that he stood by his statement in connection with the four-month budgets introduced by the federal and provincial governments rather than unveiling a budget for an entire fiscal year.
While replying to a question regarding whitening of black money through the government-backed amnesty scheme, Shaikh said that no person would be allowed to whiten his/her black money through this channel.
He said the government had extended the income tax threshold limit to Rs 1.2 million from 0.4 million and a lot of people would benefit from this provision.
