"So what measures do you reckon the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is recommending to the Finance Minister to raise revenue?"
"Measures contained in the budget 2014-15 that would impact on you and me?"
"Of course, it's an annual budgetary exercise."
"In our country we focus on numbers not measures."
"But, numbers reflect details right?"
"Well, not really, a total revenue number would reflect how much expenditure is budgeted for the year and mind even the expenditure numbers do not match what is achieved at the end of the year. And you know the FBR numbers are routinely downgraded a couple of times each year."
"What does that mean? The Finance Ministry plugged in the number without making a realistic assessment or the FBR is simply incompetent?"
"A lot of both."
"I thought the expression was a bit of both."
"In Pakistan we don't do anything by halves."
"You are being facetious."
"Anyway all I wanted to tell you was that you shouldn't take the budget seriously - you don't like any tax you simply get an appointment to meet with Nawaz Sharif and out it goes the window, if Nawaz Sharif doesn't want to meet with you then you come out on the streets and disrupt traffic and guess what: no case will be registered against you, you can even hit policemen, and if you don't know how to slap policemen around go to someone who knows how."
"Politicians?"
"Good heavens no, the lawyers, they have been hitting at a lot of policemen recently."
"Anyway I know what FBR whispered in Dar's ears."
"What? You were a fly on the wall?"
"Hey, we don't use that expression in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan."
"Don't be silly, we are only averse to one animal, the pig or its wilder kind namely boar, not flies - I mean if we didn't breed flies we wouldn't have half the illnesses..."
"Oh for Pete's sake."
"Anyway FBR told Dar to enhance withholding taxes..."
"But isn't their incidence on the poor greater than on the rich?"
"Yes, but FBR gets the credit for their collection while they do not actually collect the tax, it is withheld by other agents, that's called eating your cake and having it too."
"Right and I hope Dar gives them a bonus for being smart."
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