Senate body rejects tax laws

A meeting of the senate standing committee on finance has taken exception to the absence of adviser to prime minister on finance and secretary finance from the committee meeting.

The committee meeting presided over by Senator Farooq H Naek also rejected tax laws (Second Amendment Bill 2020) with

majority votes on the basis that penalties proposed in the tax law did not come under money bill.

Soon after the committee meeting was started, chairman of the committee inquired about advisor and secretary finance and stated that their absence was unfortunate when committee was deliberating on important bills.

Naek stated that the committee would see whether proposed tax laws falls under the money bill or not.

While reviewing various clauses of the bill, the committee chairman stated that 80 percent of the bill did not fall under money bill. He further stated that the amendment was not in accordance with relevant article of the 1973 Constitution.

He added that in the tax laws penalties had been proposed which could not be part of the money bill.

The committee approved banks (nationalization) amendment Bill 2020 without any changes or amendment.