Speakers at the meeting of Shura Hamdard Karachi chapter urged the government to try its level best to make the coming national budget 2015-16 people-friendly as the masses are already under the burden of high prices of daily use commodities. The meeting was held on Thursday May 14, 2015 on the theme: "National Budget 2015-16 and public expectation", presided over by former Justice Haziqul Khairi at a local hall.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Shahid Hassan Siddiqui, an economist said that Pakistan was legged behind in collecting taxes than seven other Asian countries. There was a powerful group in Pakistan which didn't allow to tax agricultural income and documentation of economy in the country. Income more than five hundred thousands rupees should be taxed and ratio of General Sales Tax (GST) is fixed not more than 5 per cent, he suggested. Making further recommendations about the coming national budget, he said that using information technology those assets should be unearthed that have been made through wrongful means and kept secret from the eyes of income tax officials and be taxed heavily. 7 per cent for education, 2 for health and 5.5 for developing expenditure be allocated in coming national budget, he suggested and further said that 80 per cent finance of Benazir Income Support should be allocated to micro finance and the policy of making a cut off in interest rate of banks be changed and banking spread be limited up to 3.5 per cent.
He said, the performance of agricultural and live stock sectors remained distressing for the last several years and their shares in national production were 600 billion rupees, it could be increased to fifty thousands billion rupees if adequate planning be chalked out for their developments.
Zafar Iqbal, President, Association of Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SAMEA) while giving the budget recommendations said that small and medium size enterprises are the engine and backbone of country's economy, having 40 per cent share in GDP and consisting of small and medium size industrial and trading units, involving 80 per cent labour force of the country and progress of this sector was tantamount to the progress of the country. Government should encourage and provide more and more facilities to this sector in order to give boost to the country's economy, he added.
Mrs Sadia Rashid, President, Hamdard Foundation Pakistan said that national senses should be conducted in order to make it clear how many population and resources country have and what can be done to meet the requirement of the people. Commodore Sadeed Anwar Malik (Retd) said that nature had bestowed upon Pakistan with good opportunities for the production of Shrimps in Balochistan and other places too. We should improve the production of shrimps which could give us good enough amount of foreign exchange as there was great demand of this species throughout the world.
Haq Nawaz Akhtar, former Chairman, Pakistan Steel Mills said that it should be made obligatory for banks that they must put their shares in micro finance and the money of Benazir Income Support Programme be attached to micro finance in order to provide respectful support to the poor.
Dr Abubakar Sheikh was of the view that the national budget should be based on trading and the country's economy be made knowledge - based and that's only answer to the country's socio-economic problems. Ms Shamim Kazmi stressed upon the development of human resources particularly of women as Pakistani women are hardworking and skilled, if facilities of soft loans were provided to them they could play their part effectively in reducing the poverty in the country. Double tax should be leveled on marriage halls as they were earning a lot and more and more schools are opened in the country instead of elite Universities, she asserted.
Professor Mohammed Rafi, Khalid Ikramullah Khan, Colonel Mukhtar Ahmed Butt (Retd) and Anwar Aziz Jakartawalla also spoke. On this occasion, Mr Khursheed Hashmi, a trustee of Sakinan-i-Shahr-i-Quaid Trust gave away an award and a cheque to Mrs Sadia Rashid in recognition of her services for literature and city of Quaid - Karachi. While thanking the Trust on receiving the award and cheque, Mrs Sadia Rashid said that she would give the amount of cheque for the education of needy students. Shura in a unanimous resolution condoled the deaths of its member, Syed Mustafa Ali Brelvi, Shia Ismailis at Safora Chowrangi and Natlar air accident in KPK.-PR
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