That the Tajir Dost Scheme is not attracting a positive response from traders is a fact that has found its best reflection from a news item carried by this newspaper yesterday. According to which, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has so far registered over 58,000 small traders/new shopkeepers under the Tajir Dost Scheme against the target of 3.2 million.
A senior FBR official is said to have told this newspaper that the monthly tax payments from traders would start from this month (August). Chief Coordinator of the Tajir Dost Scheme Naeem Mir said the Board has projected a collection Rs 50 billion under this head in the current year.
According to him, it is an ambitious target and would require full cooperation of the traders to voluntarily deposit monthly tax payment instalments.
No doubt, the traders have refused to respond to the scheme in a positive manner owing to a variety of factors. In my view, the government must realize by now that it is on a wild goose chase, so to speak.
The government must reach out to traders with a view to addressing their concerns before it successfully persuads them to become part of Tajir Dost Scheme by registering themselves. Using stick alone won’t work; the government must offer them some carrot as well.
Shahid Mir (Lahore)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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