Tax has not been imposed on low income class: Mujtaba Shujaa

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Finance, Excise & Taxation Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman has said that tax has not been imposed on low income and middle class people in the next financial year’s budget, and property tax is being imposed on 5-marla houses constructed in posh areas of big cities only. He said that according to the survey of excise department, there are A-category localities in big cities of Punjab like Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala where the rental value of 5-marla residential houses is much more than the houses of 5-marla in poor localities. Therefore, Punjab government has decided to impose property tax on 5-marla houses situated in those localities so that tax to be collected from well-to-do people could be spent on public welfare projects.

In a statement, Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said that the statement of Ch. Pervez Elahi “Withdrawal of exemption of property tax from 5-marla houses in Punjab is a cruelty”, is misleading and contrary to the facts. The minister said that Zaman Park, Scotch Corner and Upper Mall areas are included in posh areas where property value is much more than the middle class residential colonies.

Provincial minister while terming the Punjab budget as a balanced said that record amount has been allocated for provision of education and health facilities. He said that a sum of Rs.244 billion including all running and development expenditures of the province and districts would be spent on education whereas Rs.102 billion on health during next financial year budget. Similarly, 26% of the total budget would be spent on education and 11% on health which is a record. Mujataba Shujaur Rehman said that 10% increase has been made in the salaries and pension of government employees as the national pay scales are framed for the entire country, therefore, like federal government, Punjab province has made a reasonable increase up to 10% in the salaries and pension of the employees. He said that provincial government started revolutionary public welfare projects like metro bus, Daanish Schools and Aashiyana Housing Scheme during its previous five years tenure and these public welfare schemes would also continue in the present budget.