What's new

[VIDEO] 'Take full advantage': Prime Minister Imran calls on citizens to declare assets by June 30

MenInG

PakPassion Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Runs
217,977
rime Minister Imran Khan, in a televised addressed on Monday morning, called on citizens to declare their assets by June 30.

"I am appealing to all of you to take part in the Asset Declaration Scheme that we have brought, because if we don't pay taxes, we will not be able to raise our country up," the premier said, ahead of the federal budget for fiscal year 2019-20, which is scheduled to be announced tomorrow.

"We will need to change ourselves if we want to become a great country," Prime Minister Imran said.

The premier said that people had until June 30 declare their benami assets, benami bank accounts and money that was kept abroad.

"After June 30, you will not get this opportunity," he said.

"Remember our government today has that information which no government before had."

He added that they had made agreements and were receiving information from abroad about properties and bank accounts of Pakistanis.

"Our agencies have information about who has benami accounts and benami properties," the premier said, adding that: "This was never available to us before therefore take advantage of this scheme. Give Pakistan the benefit. Fix your children's future. [Give us] the chance that we get this country to stand on its own two feet and take people out of poverty."

"Take full advantage of this scheme," he said.

This is the second time that the premier has appealed to the people to declare their benami assets and bank accounts under the government's Assets Declaration Scheme by June 30.

Read: PM Imran urges people to declare assets by June 30, become part of tax net

At the start of his address today, Prime Minister Imran said: "My Pakistanis, in the past ten years Pakistan's debt went from Rs6,000 billion to Rs30,000 billion."

He said that the damage that this had caused to the country was that the annual tax collected was approximately Rs4,000 billion, half of which went towards repaying loans "they" had taken.

"This country cannot cover its expenses on the money that is left behind," he added.

"Pakistan is the country that unfortunately gives the least tax in the world but is among the few countries that give the most charity."

"This is the country that has [the] capability and if passion comes in, we can at the very least gather Rs10,000 billion every year," the premier said before appealing to the Pakistani people to take part in the Asset Declaration Scheme.

In May, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had announced its first tax amnesty scheme — Asset Declaration Scheme — for whitening of undisclosed expenditures, sales and assets, including foreign assets, at nominal tax rates.

The scheme came into effect through a presidential ordinance, which will offer a period of 45 days to people for declaration of their undeclared assets, expenditures, and sales along with payment of taxes until June 30 this year.

The scheme, approved by the federal cabinet during a meeting presided over by the premier, has five main pillars — scope, default surcharge, exclusions, tax rates and conditions.

Unlike past schemes no revenue realisation projection was made on the plea that it is meant for allowing the grey economy’s inclusion in the tax net.

The government plans to present an austerity-oriented budget tomorrow providing a ‘slight’ relief to middle and low grade government employees, including military personnel, with no increase in the salaries of army officials of higher ranks.

This was said by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan at a joint news conference with SAPM on Accountability Shahzad Akbar on Sunday.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByhEgwZhwd8/" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByhEgwZhwd8/" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByhEgwZhwd8/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Prime Minister Imran Khan called on citizens to declare their assets by June 30 while addressing the nation on Monday, ahead of the federal budget for fiscal year 2019-20, which is scheduled to be announced tomorrow. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “I am appealing to all of you to take part in the Asset Declaration Scheme that we have brought, because if we don't pay taxes, we will not be able to raise our country up,” the premier said. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “We will need to change ourselves if we want to become a great country,” Prime Minister Imran said. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The premier said that people had until June 30 declare their benami assets, benami bank accounts and money that was kept abroad. “After June 30, you will not get this opportunity.” #DawnToday</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dawn.today/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Dawn Today</a> (@dawn.today) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2019-06-10T05:00:19+00:00">Jun 9, 2019 at 10:00pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>


https://www.dawn.com/news/1487282/t...alls-on-citizens-to-declare-assets-by-june-30
 
I think there have been too many of these amnesty schemes already and none do any good. If the govt is serious then its a battle it cant afford to lose, its needs to hammer a few big wigs with confiscation orders and the ball will start rolling.
 
The govt appears desperate for money, not good signs at all
 
The govt appears desperate for money, not good signs at all

Asking people of Pakistan to pay their share and legal tax is a cause of national security for the people of Pakistan.

This government isn't trying to get rich for themselves.
 
Asking people of Pakistan to pay their share and legal tax is a cause of national security for the people of Pakistan.

This government isn't trying to get rich for themselves.

To be honest, paying tax is obligatory on every citizen of a country, the government does not have to ask, it has to enforce the law. Anyone found deliberately or wilfully refusing to file and pay taxes have to be punished via heavy fines, penalties and in the worst case scenario criminal prosecution.

Hopefully after June 30 the government ruthlessly goes after non-filers. The FBR should have the right to raid a tax payers personal property.
 
To be honest, paying tax is obligatory on every citizen of a country, the government does not have to ask, it has to enforce the law. Anyone found deliberately or wilfully refusing to file and pay taxes have to be punished via heavy fines, penalties and in the worst case scenario criminal prosecution.

Hopefully after June 30 the government ruthlessly goes after non-filers. The FBR should have the right to raid a tax payers personal property.

SBP turns down FBR request for data of account-holders

ISLAMABAD: The government decision to peep into bank accounts of all those having more than Rs500,000 balance with a view to bringing them into the tax net has faced a jolt after the State Bank of Pakistan refused to provide the information on account of ‘secrecy laws’.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had sought the cooperation from the central bank after it found out that hardly 10% of over 50 million bank account holders were income tax filers. “The existing legal framework provides constraints on procuring and sharing of privilege/confidential information relating to the affairs of the banks’ customers”, the SBP wrote to the FBR on Monday.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1986993/2-sbp-turns-fbr-request-data-account-holders/
 
SBP turns down FBR request for data of account-holders

ISLAMABAD: The government decision to peep into bank accounts of all those having more than Rs500,000 balance with a view to bringing them into the tax net has faced a jolt after the State Bank of Pakistan refused to provide the information on account of ‘secrecy laws’.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had sought the cooperation from the central bank after it found out that hardly 10% of over 50 million bank account holders were income tax filers. “The existing legal framework provides constraints on procuring and sharing of privilege/confidential information relating to the affairs of the banks’ customers”, the SBP wrote to the FBR on Monday.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1986993/2-sbp-turns-fbr-request-data-account-holders/

Need to bring in a law where state institutions can share information to capture those playing the system without privacy laws shielding the guilty
 
All good and why not but how about those citizens that have nothing to declare and we have millions of such please take care of them too.
 
Agreed. It's one of the major sources that is tapped into because the landowners are too powerful.

Unfortunately it will be the salaried employees who take the burden of governments tax policies. This is another charade and it simply won't work. I was hoping IK was more decisive going after the land mafia and jagirdaar elites of Pakistan. There should be heavy taxes on family wealth inheritance in Pak.
 
Not sure how much truth there is because no Pakistani outlet reported it yet but Khaleej Times is reporting that Pakistanis whitened their assets worth Rs1 trillion in foreign jurisdiction including Rs346 billion in the UAE, accounting for nearly one-third - 34.5 per cent - of the total whitened foreign assets.

This was the highest declaration among foreign countries.

The UAE was followed by Switzerland (Rs114.8 billion), the UK (Rs89.7 billion), Singapore (Rs87.3 billion) and British Virgin Islands (Rs48.9 billion).

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/busine...ion-assets-in-foreign-countries-uae-tops-list

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistanis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistanis</a> whiten Rs1 trillion assets in foreign countries, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UAE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UAE</a> tops list. Most of the foreign assets are being whitened in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UAE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UAE</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Singapore?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Singapore</a>, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UK</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canada?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canada</a>. <a href="https://t.co/VmNprahv2x">https://t.co/VmNprahv2x</a></p>— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/khaleejtimes/status/1143394967785791488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Back
Top