ISLAMABAD : The PEW on Thursday rejected the harsh economic initiatives of the government saying that masses are being punished for no crime by unprecedented increase in the prices of electricity and petroleum products. President PEW Dr Murtaza Mughal said that masses are not responsible for the financial difficulties of the government therefore they shouldn’t be made to pay for the blunders of economic managers. He said that government has failed to boost revenues; it is not bothered about tax reforms and has decided to conveniently tax poor.


 
He was of the view that the government can focus on controlling the massive electricity theft, collecting bills from chronic defaulters, and introduce reforms to improve efficiency of the ailing power sector. Government should tax the wealthy according to their income regardless of the source of their income, he added. 
Mughal demanded to bring wealthy agriculturists and those enjoying unjustified exemptions into the tax net as they have been enjoying luxuries without contributing anything to the national exchequer.
He said that unless government broaden tax-base, stop FRB from colluding with the tax defaulters and introduce proper agriculture tax, it will not overcome troubles.