ISLAMABAD – Multiple Facebook posts claim that the Pakistani governmentwill impose enormous new taxes on the registration of motorcycles andrickshaws in southern Sindh province. The claim is false; no new taxes havebeen levied, according to government websites; the federal taxationauthority has said there are no plans to introduce the tax cited in themisleading Facebook posts.
This link Facebook post includes a clip from aPakistani TV news channel which has been viewed more than 35,000 timessince July 24, 2019.
The post’s caption claims the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan’stax authority, has instructed the Sindh provincial government to raisetaxes on motorcycles and rickshaws.
“FBR issues letter to Sindh Govt to increase With Holding Tax on Motorcycle& Auto Rickshaw …#Motorcycle #WHT #Tax #FBR,” it says.
The video’s Urdu-language voiceover translates to English as: “For theregistration of a 150,000 rupees rickshaw, 18,400 rupees will have to bepaid as tax. The federal government has written a letter to the Sindhgovernment to impose this tax.”
150,000 Pakistani rupees is equivalent to about US$935.
The broadcast also says that for a motorcycle worth 60,000 rupees,registration fees will be increased from 3,400 to 38,400 — a rise of morethan 1,100 per cent. – APP / AFP