The poor people of Pakistan are crying and weeping and these scenes are shown by media day in and day out on TV screens which is due to inflation and unemployment. The ruling partnership of PPP and PML-N is undisturbed except trying to play here and there with the gallery. The poor people have voted them for a better future but in turn they are witnessing mismanagement and corruption with inflation and unemployment.
The total tax revenue increased from Rs 1403 billion in June 2008 to Rs 2052 billion in June 2010 shows a huge jump unparallel in the history of Pakistan. Commutative taxes increase collected by the federal government in just two years of 2009 and 2010 amount to Rs 925 billion which has been wasted due to poor governance both at federal as well as provincial levels.
The story of collection of additional taxes of Rs 925 billion from masses during 2009 and 2010 does not end here. The federal government has not left any avenue untouched to take blood from the poor and middle-class souls of Pakistanis. They have printed notes and increased currency in circulation and taken local loans and foreign currency loans to make lives of poor and middle-class people further miserable. They figures of June 2008 and 2010 are as under:
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June 2008 June 2010 Increase in
two years
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Currency in Circulation - Rs billion 982 1,295 313 B
External Loans - US$ million 37,416 42,514 5,098 M
(Net of Reserves) Rs 86/=
Rs 438 B
Local Loans - Rs Billion 3,275 4,653 1,378 B
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In other words, the total additional Taxes, Printing of Notes, & Loans make available funds for the Government during last two years of 2009 & 2010 was:
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Additional
funds available
(Rs Billion)
============================
Tax Revenue 925
Notes in circulation 313
External Loans 438
Local Loans 1,378
Total 3,054
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The total funds available with the present Government works out not in billions now but it is over 3 trillion rupees in just two years of 2009 and 2010. This may be another historical factual debacle unparallel/unseen for by people of our country? Besides, this Rs 3054 billion does not include petrol bomb and power tariff increases etc, which have crippled the house budget of everyone. The agriculture sector economy covers 25% of GDP of Pakistan and contributes only 1% of the tax revenue. There are reports that 25 cabinet ministers including Prime the Minister have paid no income tax for the past 3 years. Besides rich feudals also do not pay any tax on their income running into billions. Yet the government wants to explode RGST bomb on poor and middle-class people. "Berq Girti Hai Tau Becharay Musalmano Par!"
The result of colossal additional funds of Rs 3,054 billion collected through taxes etc resulted in increase in unemployment rate for the first time during 2010 as compared to previous six years as per historical data. The unemployment rate in 2004 was 8.3 %. Which progressively went down to 5.2% in June 2008 and now show increasing trend to 5.5% in June 2010.
The additional funds available of Rs 3054 billion do not include new taxes imposed by provinces and loans taken by them, which has added more burden on the poor and middle-class masses. It is further surprising that in spite of substantial rise in availability of funds, the spending on public sector development programme (PSDP) is facing drastic cuts. The poor people are crying and the government should not forget:
Sitam Ka Had Se Barh Jana Inqilab Ki Nishani Hai.
People are looking towards sky and praying for rescue from Mismanagement, corruption, inflation and unemployment.
The government should concentrate and plug the gaps and utilise the additional funds of Rs 3054 billion first, provide relief to the masses and not increase any taxes in any form on poor and middle-class further. The masses are looking towards judiciary, army and media for help and relief.
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