LAHORE: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Revenue Haroon Akhtar Khan has said that the government wanted to facilitate small traders by offering immunity to their bank accounts under Voluntary Tax Compliance Scheme (VTCS) 2016.
Addressing an awareness session on VTCS at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI), he said that a new bill was being floated to confiscate all ‘Be-nami’ bank accounts in the country.
The session was also attended by Mian Muhammad Idrees, former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of commerce and Industry (FPCCI), and Mohsin Nadeem, president of the All Pakistan Tax Bar Association.
He said that all macro-economic indicators were positive and the government had been striving hard to make Pakistan economically strong and prosperous.
He said that despite various hurdles, the government had successfully reigned in the challenges of load shedding, inflation and availability of capital. He said the Government had also resolved the gas issue as LNG was available at a comparatively cheaper rate.
“The government has completed one LNG terminal while four are in the different stages of completion, similarly, the government is laying gas pipeline from Iran to Pakistan while another line will be laid between Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to cater to our future needs and these mega projects will make Pakistan energy surplus country within next five years”, he added.
He said that $ 46 billion Chinese investment would also bring prosperity in the region in addition to generating much needed economic activity and helping Pakistan to attain the desired 7 percent growth rate of GDP.