Dawn: LONDON: Britain should not go ahead with a major increase in aid to Pakistan unless Islamabad makes its wealthier citizens pay more taxes, British lawmakers said on Thursday.
Britain is due to double its assistance to Pakistan to $675 million in 2014-2015, making it the biggest recipient of British aid.
But the British parliament’s International Development Committee said it was unfair for Britain to fund health and education projects unless Pakistan’s new government, due to be elected in May, tackles “rife” corruption and tax evasion.
“We cannot expect the people in the UK to pay taxes to improve education and health in Pakistan if the Pakistan elite are not paying income tax,” the committee said in a report.
“Pakistan’s rich do not pay taxes and exhibit little interest in improving conditions and opportunities for Pakistan’s poor.”
Citing figures from the Pakistan Board of Revenue, the committee said only 0.57 per cent of Pakistanis paid income tax last year – and that no one has been prosecuted for income tax fraud for at least 25 years.
Very true, the citizens need to show responsibility & the govt. needs to implement the laws. I have seen only the govt servants paying the taxes because that gets cut at source!
All those making tons of money do not give their taxes thus shirking responsibility. If that was being done since independence, the country would not be in a mess that it is in today. Even the corruption, crime & terrorism stems from poverty.