ISLAMABAD  -   Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday while terming the highest tax payers as ‘heroes of the nation’ announced significant incentives for them including issuance of blue passport and conferring of Pakistan Honour Cards and honourary title of ambassadors of the country upon them. Addressing a ‘Tax Excellence Awards’ ceremony held here to acknowledge the highest tax payers, the prime minister said the highest tax payers and exporters would be treated as honourary ambassadors of the country abroad and the country’s embassies across the globe would be directed to fully coordinate in this regard. The prime minister said that the purpose of today’s ceremony was to acknowledge the contributions of the heroes of the nation and those who honestly paid taxes and served the country through their talents, with setting up of small and medium businesses, women entrepreneurs and those who had spurred the nontraditional exports. The prime minister said that about Rs65 billion refunds had been issued to exporters upon his direction and he had also directed for making it a routine matter without any leniency. While mentioning the country’s economic issues and challenges, he stressed that the government and private sector had to work closely to overcome them.

“If we want to resolve these is­sues, like two wheels of a vehi­cle, the private sector and the government have to work close­ly and with the support of pro­vincial governments, the federal government will address the is­sues faced by the private sector, end red tape with provision of enabling circumstances to them so that they can tread upon the development path,” the prime minister said. The government’s role was not to do the business­es but it acted like a catalyst and through facilitation, consultative process and enactment of poli­cies; they could lead Pakistan on path to progress, he added. 

The prime minister said that a nation’s voice was heard among the comity of nations when it had sound economic health.

“The time has arrived when all have to accept the challenge through best solutions,” he opined and stressed upon over­coming the past decades mis­takes. “Implementation of pol­icies with letter and spirit and under complete dedication is the strategy of the incumbent government to put country on path of progress,” he added. 

He further reiterated that they should get rid of costly oil churning power units to pro­vide competitive power supply to industries and said that he had directed the minister con­cerned and authorities to do away with such junk. 

About FBR, he said they were taking measures for its com­plete restructuring and in­formed that next month, a con­sultant would be appointed. 

The prime minister opined that about 27 billion rupees were under litigation whereas revenue target was set at Rs9 trillion. He said underscored the need of appointment of compe­tent tribunal heads to expedi­tiously dispose of the pending litigation, adding that he had also appealed to the chief jus­tice for speedy disposal of such cases at the upper tiers. 

He said the country’s tax col­lection stood around 9 per cent of the total GDP which was low­est in the region while huge chuck of tax was siphoned off. He said that if this massive leak­age was not plugged, further imposition of taxes would not yield results and underlined the need to reduce tax slabs. 

He said that they required in­novative tax initiatives. He also appreciated the tax collectors and the relevant departments who he said would also be given public recognition. The prime minister referring to seeking of foreign debts said that it was grave matter and it was high time to indulge into self intro­spection. He emphasized upon an exports led growth, boost­ing of IT and agriculture devel­opment. Youth bulge was a valu­able asset for the country that should be imparted skilled edu­cation, he observed.

The Prime Minister said the government is compelled to en­ter into a new IMF deal for the purpose of stability. He, howev­er, said along with the IMF pro­gram, the government will focus on fostering growth, creating job opportunities and address­ing the issue of inflation. 

The prime minister also termed another IMF pro­gramme a requirement for the country’s economic stability. 

The prime minister men­tioned the functioning of Spe­cial Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) which was accel­erating investment prospects by removing all hurdles. He said that Pakistan enjoyed excellent ties with China and said that the second phase of China Paki­stan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would expedite the economic development. The prime min­ister said that they were out­sourcing airports besides expe­diting the privatization of PIA, and regretted that state owned enterprises were making bil­lion of rupees losses annually. Minister for Finance Muham­mad Aurangzeb, in his remarks, said that for development and growth, taxes on internal side and exports on external side were drivers for development.