BUDGET PROPOSAL 2003-2004

BUDGET PROPOSAL 2003-2004 <!--[if gte mso 10]> BUDGET PROPOSAL 2003-2004 By Mr. Qamar-ul-Islam, Advocate, Karachi In spite of huge and heavy production even developed countries make all out efforts to minimise the cost of governance, but in Pakistan a policy to multiply the cost is the slogan of day. Persons at the top are ' given the highest whereas the real worker, lower staff is denied due increments and allowances, rather is threatened removal and direct appointments to- fill his vacancies from outside but even a look to Provincial, Federal fiscal laws and levies is given, it satisfies incompetence's, as well as that no time has been given to it's preparations. Few of examples are that car driving licence fee is Rs.200 per annum, late fee is Rs.100, for 5 years renewal fee is Rs.800 but if one renews it for 5 years, is required to pay Rs.1200. It is obvious that knowingly every one will first renew it for year with late at Rs.300 and then will renew it for further 4 years at Rs.800 thus will save Rs.100, it is not even told in rates why one would pay extra Rs.100 for 5 years, as against expecting a rebate for 'advance payment for 5 years. In K.E.S.C. if energy charge is Rs.1552 then fuel adjustment Surcharge is Rs.401.20, Surcharge is 203.17 Add. Surcharge is 4186.20, to avoid criticisms now bureaucrats in K.E.S.C. have deleted the details merging/including Surcharges in energy charges. Similar is the high charging by PTCL for line rents and local calls. The fact remains there that safety of a country depends on its -economic strength and ability and the economic activity of a country is basically dependant on justice and accountability which ensures peace and tranquillity without which all promises of efforts and plans in respect of law and order, economic development, investment, savings, re-structuring, developments and earnings remain an act of promises and fraud by the persons who assume all those responsibilities. None, particularly economic and investment activities do not believe unaccountable set-up, arrangements and establishments in whatever competent, honest and praised hands, may it be, specially our religion Islam does not allow unaccountability, one who refuses to be accountable in fact is admittedly most corrupt. Experiment of running the affairs of Government 'universities, institutions, and academies by teams of volunteers and students the world over is in success. So much so that even White House is run and managed by more Than 90% students and educated volunteers but in Pakistan we insist in running the academic institutions, universities and other functionaries by rangers, police, dacoits who have power supports even such persons not meant and' brought up for such purposes. Instead of putting and maintaining the villagers at their places in villages to boost agricultural productivity, after leaving the lands as barren we are taking all of them under support and command with sizeable number of bureaucrats, police and judicial officers and other Government officials in administration and judicial system to cities for crime, loot, plunder, abductions for ransoms, killings, murders and various nature of corruptions Foreign exchange reserves have not been earned through the economic activities and earnings within the country, which in fact has dropped to Nil. Foreign exchange which is flowing in the country cannot be taken into reference any way to assess the economic growth and performance of the country, productivity, growth rate, GNP and NNP both have considerably and miserably gone down, it is wrongly understood that banks personnel or highly paid personnel brought from abroad have any depth or ability to peep into economy of this country. In USA and European countries production and business being of large volume, they afford labour even after payment in bulk and willing to run aircrafts like a rickshaw or cycle we carry in our poor country. Result of wasting 56 years is that the Muslim world, largest in population and resources is weakest in warfare and economic prosperity. Dependent on European and US world powers only to make hue and cry, protest, rallies and burning flags and effigy. If we look back to Pakistan of 1956 with reference to world at that time in textile, banks, shipping etc; now it is dependent on others even for technologies and education. On economic strength the entire Muslim world is helpless to defend and stand besides Iraq rather is forced to encash the occasion for its economic 'wild` up, even supporting the world roarings of US and the British. Economy is falling regularly because workers by various rather all forces are encouraged to refuse to work, they only demand wages and salaries with reference to hike in prices, cost and standard of living with reference to scale of wages abroad in developed countries but refuse to work the way it is extracted abroad with that zeal, efforts, discipline, regularity and continuity with hire and fire policy. To defeat production and economic activities, labour, energy, means of communication and land has become costly in Pakistan; it is backward in respect of infrastructure. In the eve of unbearable cost of governance, without ability to deliver any result, nothing is left for capital expenditure, social, Education. Huge expenditure is incurred at Federal, Provincial and local level but the purpose of educating is meted out and looked after by private sector. There is no law and order in country. Persons at helm of affairs at production and economy are the hostages of various Government franchises, departmental bureaucratic political parties. None has a sentiment for national achievement except personal. Saving centers all over the country are in had misbehaved and in rough hands. Even they also don't recognize that the relationship between them and the investor is that of the master and servant". Even the games are parochialised; future of Cricket is completely ruined by repeated parochial approaches one after the other by Ayub Khan, Ghulam Ishaque Khan, H. E. Kardar, Noor Khan, General Tauqeer Zia and Imran Khan etc. As long as all the institutions, bureaucracy, judiciary, corporations and entire set-up do not fall under the commands, dictates and aspirations of common man entire process of democratization just remains a formality. In such process only opportunists participate and democrats part away and go back to struggle. In Pakistan even after 56 years, vested class, head of institutions having formed it into a corrupt authoritative and unaccountable coteries do dictate common man and refuse common man dictates, as a result the institutions have grown dangerous to common interest, economic and social growth. They are in a form of states into states kings amongst kings where the kings behave on their feelings, they may award, gift, praise, sympathise, console, please each other or behead on their personal feeling or as a policy, but never on a common man's demands or against their general corrupt popularity. Opportunists and corrupts have divided the society into 2 classes, special and common. Such set-up alone was responsible to slash East Pakistan from Pakistan; which East Pakistan is flourishing only because people work there and their institutions; corporations accept dictates and command of common man. As against in Pakistan, employees bureaucrats head of institutions and corporations not for contribution, work and accountability but for loot, plunder, corruptions and dictates they head institutions. Whereas the world over employees are treated as employees not like kings even kings are not treated like the kings of ancient days that is the reason one is forced and feels pain and gives examples of other and neighbouring countries that it so happens there i.e. justice is imparted in USA, England etc, just law prevails and has supremacy. British kingdoms policy to collect and depute simple graduates of their interested class through Indian Civil Services, Judicial Services System in spite of specialized educations in Pakistan system of deputing and appointing simple graduates leaving them free, unaccountable as "god father", "god gift" corrupts through corrupt commissions is still followed in Pakistan. Surprisingly uneducated, misbehaved, rowdiest degree holders are selected through these corrupt commissions under the below of quota system who are then educated in expensive academies again in and under the hands and supervision of those whose proper place in fact is prison. British in kingdom work and persons in Pakistan in democrat and Islamic set-up refuse to work. In academies they are taught hypocrisy, misbehaviour and formation of coteries. To deprive small provinces and other criticized head offices even of such establishments have been shifted to Islamabad who have nothing to do with Islamabad' i.e. Pakistan Navy, Dry ports etc. Even when proper custom duty is refused there Question arises that why not to originally select and employ educated persons instead selecting rotten stuff and to educate them in academies that in fact can never be educated because of their basic defects in their brought up, surroundings and culture. Such selections are only problems, corruptions and evils attract them new slogan of higher payments, huge contracts system, taken one after the other gained the field in governance of Pakistan. From top to botton education is in hands of those who even are not educated themselves in real sense have risen to their present position out of opportunity, corruptions, playing parochialism, blackmailing and exploitations. As a result it is under the control of corrupt persons. In spite of fact that these World Bank, IMF and donor countries take more than what in fact they give in terms of finance at the cost of freedom of the country also. It must be understood in very clear terms as it is understood the world over that banker remains a banker and an economist is already a banker, the banking being the very, very minor part of economy. A banker never becomes an economist at all in spite of his any high claim. Persons any way at the helm of affairs must realize that their duty is to motivate and enhance productivity in country particularly of agriculture product and related industries. Major part of tax collected is spent by and through the hands of those who bring no result. In spite of demands of public in repeat, missions abroad play no role on introducing local product to foreign markets or bringing demands and linking it with other ministries i.e. Commerce, Production, Finance, Education, Interior, Defence etc. failures can be well assessed that major orders for reconstructions to Afghanistan have been given to India i.e. to supply on job oriented basis 5,00,000 buses on the terms and conditions of India. Entire affairs of their country are in the hands of officers, bureaucrats. Nation and taxpayers are at their mercy. No one is accountable to public from top to bottom all the Government departments; Federal, Provincial local, corporations, banks, police, institutions are extracting money from the citizens and the common man who are helpless in the hands of their own employees. No one is there to check complaints. Accountability is linked with fights of elephants. In kingdoms citizens are subject, king may fix limits of justice. Whereas in democratic States, all institutions are of public and complete justice without fear and favour is imparted. After the departure of British kingdom in 1947 and Governor-Generalship in 1956 culture of rule, use of various words "don't dent the Judge" "discretion", decide the case wrongly or rightly etc. are yet to change. Police refuses to lodge F.I.Rs. even if F.I.R. is lodged still police has supremacy to investigate case to it's interest, to absolve accuse, and did not present Challan to Court. Although a complainant is given right for private complaint, an application under section 173, Cr.P.C. before a Judicial Magistrate of grade 16 or 17 as against decision/directives of A.S.P., S.S.P., A.D.I.-G. and D.I.-G. of grades 18 to 20, one could well imagine of such applications is present scenario. Similarly contempt of Court law/Ordinance needs amendments restricting contempt to the extent of disobedience to Court's orders and words "ridicule", "Criticism", "scandalize", "observation" be deleted as now not needed. Because of misreading, non-reading, condemn unheard, fear and favours; Appeals, .Revisions, References, writs are piling up and at Appellate, High Courts, Mohtasib, Shariat Bench, Services Tribunal, Supreme Court etc. Common person wants to know if nothing is maintainable at Appellate and Superior forums then for what all these forums are'? Reply to the plea that because people come to Courts is a proof they believe in system is that people have no options to console them either way. A citizen's responsibility is only to satisfy that injustice is done then it is the duty of the Government/judiciary to do justice and also to see that under which law or provision of statute justice is imparted. In Christian concept kingdom/king is shadow of god and with that reference the Judges are sons of god. Face value and coteries whereby justice never remains a matter of right which system has given a concept of bar and bench. Like nationalization done with prejudiced and ulterior motives, to fulfil personal grudge thrown into the hands of corrupts and inefficient privatization is also done not for economic reforms but to enrich dear ones or oneself on kick back consideration etc. DHA and Clifton Board, an institution to appoint retired Defence Officers on lucrative salaries, and allow them lavish livings at the cost of, civilian residents charge highest for transfer, membership fee, development and other services. Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU) is the largest area of tax evasion, biggest area of management, secret area of heavy bargains, most lucrative, expensive, aristocratic area created at the cost of taxpayers. An area of the persons (so called taxpayers) who instead paying any tax collectively burden small taxpayers from various levies and deductions of tax under heads of expenses/payments. Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan means only few firms i.e. A.F. Ferguson, Ford Rhodes Robson Morrow, Taseer Hadi, Sidat Hyder, Yousuf Adil etc. which scenario demands a change in order to bring any type of improvements in the losses and corruptions brought in by monopoly, tax evasion, corruption, un productivity, rise in costs and prices, a vicious circle into vicious circles. Tax Rates: Tax rates of, Income tax, sales tax, stamp duties, cost of documentations and litigations are exorbitantly high and repeat which encourages avoiding payment of taxes and to follow and repeat the habit of non-documenting the transactions. It is suggested that number of taxes, Provincial as well as Federal be reduced and their rates be ratinalised. Regular Survey: A system of regular survey be introduced both in income tax and sales tax department at every territorial jurisdiction level and monthly targets be given to circles to register new taxpayers and their follow up supported by comprehensive system of third party information. Kids exploit; even in Pakistan in tax arena literacy rate is high and transactions are documented like world over and developed countries. Strict orders be there not to disturb existing taxpayers. Refunds: There is large number of small and huge refunds due to genuine parties but the department of Income Tax even at the cost of its reputation refuses to issue refund. To refuse refund now a policy even not to create refund is in practice with Income-tax Department, which has made the issuance of refund more difficult and also defeats the judgments of Honourable Courts and Ombudsman. Whereas on the other hand issue of bogus refunds on the behest of Income-tax and Sales Tax Department is growing fast. DPC of Income Tax a Department into Department: C.B.R./Income Tax Department to shift its inefficiency, authoritative misbehaved, set-up in its fold after spending and also on receiving kick backs have created Data Processing Center who demands cost of verification of even genuine paid challan at 2% of paid amount of challan and issue verification of bogus challan at about 40% which never had been paid to Bank/Treasury. Such persons to the benefit of appointing authorities, corrupt and vested class of the department of Income Tax, C.B.R. have been appointed from outside, obviously on a very lucrative scale.. To mint money artificial secrecy has been created for keypunch operators/typists, which also protects their corruptions and inefficiencies, a strict security arrangement are made out to make them inaccessible. One knowing the subject to depth its proper use is justified to question that what C.B.R Income Tax is trying to present in the form of these persons and set-up. NTN Certificates: Registration of taxpayers and its certification, the very basic and elementary item where the C.B.R Income-tax in spite of minting money beyond their satisfaction both for its officers and officials and various contractors various times failed miserably. Presently they are saying that they have made arrangement to send the certificates through COS Courier Services on obtaining applications alongwith duly paid challans of Rs.50, a separate challan printed exclusively for NTN purposes. Neither the NTN is delivered on counter nor it reaches taxpayers they have to run from so called Tax Payers Facilitation Service Center to COS Courier Service spending hundreds and thousands. Before hiring private services bureaucrats in department C.B.R. and Finance Ministry have failed to understand that the departmental persons were better manageable that these outsiders who instead rendering any service, in spite of their corruptions and misbehaviours with stress upon taxpayers and their authorized representatives and their advocates that they are not their paid employees and challenge every one that the complainant can well report to RCIT. It is obvious that who collects bribes from even controlling authorities, for their paid challans and bogus, duplicates, same Challans given to various officers to meet their so called budgets and performances, how can be questioned by such persons who themselves are corrupt and exposed before them. It is seen and appreciated that Tax Payers Facilitation Centers run by the department itself by their officers and officials are rendering a better service than these outsiders, carry out who demand strick check but DPC believes none will do it then who will do it? And how will be done?