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Sweeping tax measures target salaried class, real estate and other assets

The government has announced a stunning Rs1.761 trillion in new revenue measures for the next fiscal year, which, a deeper examination reveals, may contribute to another bout of inflation in the country. The focus of the budget seems to be on withdrawing most exemptions from sales tax and customs duty which, though not fully reflected in the finance minister’s budget speech on the floor of Nati

Making life much harder for non-filers

The government has proposed a series of punitive measures in the annual budget for FY2024-25 to punish individuals and businesses who do not file income tax returns, including the possibility of being barred from foreign travel. The measures appeared to be another attempt by the government to coerce non-filers into filing their tax returns for the documentation of the economy. In his speech

Stock market extends losses ahead of federal budget presentation

Continuing its downward march, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday recorded a notable drop of over 650 points, primarily owing to investor fears over potential announcement of tough tax measures in the federal budget for fiscal year 2024-25. Although the bourse got off to a robust start, when it touched the intra-day high of 73,866.44 points, it failed to maintain the positive momentum

Traders for action against debt crisis

Leading business figures have expressed concern over the rapidly increasing domestic and foreign loans of the country, highlighting the lack of a sagacious and sustainable policy aimed at reducing or eliminating these debts. They highlighted the urgent need for the government to find immediate solutions to curb expenses, widen the tax net, and stop pampering vested interests and elite capture. The

Rupee falls on high dollar demand talk

Pakistani currency on Monday depreciated Rs0.17 and settled at Rs278.37 against the US dollar in the inter-bank market over projections that demand for the foreign currency was set to jump in the coming weeks following a reduction in the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)’s policy rate. According to the central bank data, the rupee had closed at Rs278.20 against the greenback on Friday. The local