IMF chief asks Kakar to ‘tax rich, protect the poor’
Over a busy couple of days in New York, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar met with the UN chief, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Chinese vice premier. In their interaction on Wednesday evening, Kristalina Georgieva urged PM Kakar to “tax the rich and protect the poor”. “What we are asking in our programme is, please collect more taxes from the wealthy and please protect the poor people of Pakistan,” said Ms Georgieva, while talking to a group of Pakistani journalists outside the meeting room. “I do believe this is in line with what people in Pakistan would like to see for the country.” Later, she confirmed in a tweet that the prime minister agreed with her suggestion to tax the rich to protect the poor. “We agreed on the vital need for strong policies to ensure stability, foster sustainable and inclusive growth, prioritise revenue collection, and protection for the most vulnerable in Pakistan,” she wrote. The prime minister, however, characterised the meeting as constructive, which focused on mutual commitments.