ABAD urges govt. to adopt Indonesian Model for Tax Amnesty Scheme

KARACHI: Chairman, Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD), Arif Yousuf Jeewa has urged the Caretaker Government to announce extension in last date for Tax Amnesty Scheme for at least six months and also adopt Indonesian Model of Tax Amnesty Scheme to facilitate more people to join tax-payers' list.

According to a statement here on Wednesday, the ABAD Chairman said that the people were ready to pay taxes for the betterment of the country but most of them would not be able to avail this opportunity due to very short period of time. This scheme was announced to come into effect from April 12, 2018 and the last date is June 30, 2018, which is a very short time even for documentation.

First of all, the people were reluctant to avail this scheme because the Supreme Court of Pakistan has announced to take stock of the scheme.

Moreover, the people could not avail this opportunity due to month of Ramadan-ul-Mubarak and public holidays. After the clearance from the Apex Court, the people in possession of undeclared money and assets are willing to avail this opportunity but the time is very short. So, the present government setup, specially Caretaker Finance Minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, who had declared a day earlier that the last date for the Tax Amnesty Scheme would not be extended, should reconsider her announcement and extend the date for the scheme for at least six months to facilitate more people and collect more taxes for the country.

Arif Jeewa said that Indonesia had successfully implemented the Tax Amnesty Scheme and earned more than dollars 360 billion. Thousands of new taxpayers were also enlisted last year.

The Indonesian Government had given 9 months time to its citizens-- local and overseas - and charged a very low tax for first three months and then gradually increased the taxes. The Caretaker government should also follow the Indonesian Model to collect more taxes. If, it is not possible, he continued, the last date be extended for six months at least.