*ISLAMABAD: *Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Shabbar Zaidi refuses to bow before pressures from the mafia over taxation measures.
He said on Friday that the government remains focused on the expansion of the tax base, as it is necessary for the documentation of the economy.
“Taxation is the only way forward for equitable distribution of wealth, as we cannot have a stabilized and equitable society unless we have a fair taxation system,” he said during a policy symposium on “Pakistan’s Economy and IMF Programme: Challenges and Opportunities” organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).
He said the incumbent government and the International Monitory Fund are on the same page and there is no disagreement on the measures proposed by the IMF, especially with regard to taxation.
Zaidi said the government would not bow down to the pressure, protests and lame excuses of businesses and industries. “We are trying to make Pakistan good for everyone and not for (any) particular sector.”
He lambasted the previous taxation regimes for lack of prudent tax policies. “The policies of the previous governments made Pakistan a trading state instead of a semi-manufacturing state. They made the country import everything, from mineral water to foods items, and never worked-out on import substitution,” he added.