Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt lauds Prime Minister Shehbaz’s decision to crack down on tax evaders

ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (SABAH): Business leader and former President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt, on Sunday lauded Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s decision to crack down on tax evaders.

He said tax theft is common among the political and business elite, which has endangered both the nation’s security and the level of living of the masses.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said in a statement issued here that the dire situation can be reversed only if taxes are collected in a proper way for which administrative measures are necessary.

He said that the PM has directed the relevant authorities to apprehend tax evaders and enforce tough penalties for noncompliance, which is necessary to improve revenue collection.

He added that the Prime Minister is well aware of the use of technology to improve collection and has made it a top priority. The business leader said video analytics in the sugar industry would help stabilize prices, eradicate hoarding, and greatly enhance tax collection.

Moreover, the PM has directed routine sugar stock monitoring to ensure a continuous supply chain and sugar availability at affordable prices for the public.

The Premier also mandated strict measures to combat sugar mill underreporting and tax evasion, urged the quick adoption of video analytics in the cement and tobacco sectors, and directed the digitization of the entire value chain.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said that Pakistan’s economy is growing, and investors are profiting from effective government policies, exports and foreign exchange reserves are on the rise, interest rates are going down, and record investment is being recorded.

He said that different nations and foreign investors are putting their faith in government initiatives, the government is keeping all of its commitments to the people, and all economic problems are being resolved.

He said that the situation is improving rapidly, political unrest is receding, economic activities are picking up, and the masses will soon get relief. Butt said that the country has been gripped by constant political instability with a party calling for more protests against the government.

The political chaos caused by unresolved tensions between the two sides is not likely to go away without a serious and meaningful conversation. According to some reports the government and the opposition have loosened up on their rigid stances and set up a way to talk behind the scenes which is good news for the people, who are tired of all the political noise.