It is a matter of shame and insult to all honest taxpayers in the country that the agri tax collection by the provinces remains profoundly poor. According to finance minister Ishaq Dar, only Rs 700 million have been collected in Punjab while Rs 300 million in Sindh. Dar said that such a low collection by a sector that has 21 percent share in the GDP is a matter of concern.
Showing his helplessness that the provinces are not ready to authorise federal government to impose tax on agriculture income, he plausibly argues before the Senate Standing Committee on Finance with Senator Nasreen Jalil in the chair to discuss the proposals of members for recommendations in Finance Bill 2014, that it would be a violation of Constitution to collect tax on agriculture income through Finance Bill. This leads to a profound question: What is the solution? Unfortunately, however, there seems to be no solution in sight in a society that is blight by a culture of defeat.
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