Govt should increase the minimum pay to Rs40,000 & impose a tax on earnings, ending indirect tax regimes: Sirajul Haq

LAHORE, June 07 (SABAH): Reminding the finance minister his words about abolishing the interest-based economy, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Sirajul Haq has demanded the government fulfill its promise and announce a riba-free budget.

Addressing a pre-budget seminar on Wednesday, Sirajul Haq said the people were afraid and hopeless, expecting no relief from the government. He said the rulers form the budget document by following the directions of the IMF, ignoring suggestions from local experts, industrialists, traders and labour and farmer organizations.

He said the government should increase the minimum pay to Rs40,000 and impose a tax on earnings, ending indirect tax regimes. He said the interest-free microfinancing for youth was the need of the hour. The government should provide facilities to small farmers and impose taxes on feudal lords, he said, adding the banks should give loans to small and medium industries. The industry’s share in GDP was 20 per cent, but it made 70 per cent of tax income, which was unfair, he said. He said the remittances could be enhanced to USD40 billion annually by winning the trust of overseas Pakistanis.

Sirajul Haq said the corruption, unfair distribution of resources and non-developmental expenses were the real problems, and the government failed to make check on these menaces, plaguing the national economy. He said the feudal lords and imperialists represented the poor working class and peasants in the parliament. The country had plenty of resources, but the issue was bad-governance and mismanagement of resources.

Sirajul Haq demanded the government pay attention to the development of the IT industry and make a progressive approach to fix the economy instead of following the old-dated approach and directions of the IMF. He said the mantra that the country was in deep trouble was old dates, and one had been listening to these words since decades. The fact was that the poor faced every difficulty, and the ruling elite was enjoying, sitting on heaps of wealth.