Shahbaz Sharif launched “Amanat Scheme” for promoting tax culture

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has formally launched unique and first of its kind in Pakistan “Amanat Scheme” for promoting tax culture in the province. In this regard, first balloting of “Amanat Scheme” was held under Restaurant Invoice Monitoring System (RIMS) arranged by Punjab Revenue Authority at Chief Minister Office, here today.

Addressing the function held in connection with first balloting of “Amanat Scheme”, the Chief Minister said that Punjab government has introduced a unique “Amanat Scheme” to promote tax culture in the province. He said that launching of this scheme on Tax Day is a beautiful step which will result in the promotion of tax culture in the province as maintenance of law and order, provision of basic amenities to the citizens and tax collection is the responsibility of the state.

He said that only those states are considered successful as discharge these three responsibilities efficiently. He said that with the cooperation of people, this new system will be promoted so that the sources received through tax could be spent on provision of education, health, potable water and other facilities to the people. He said that Punjab government, first time in the history of Pakistan, has introduced unique scheme of voluntarily tax collection through motivation and attractive steps under which precious prizes are being given to tax payer citizens through balloting.

He said it is a good omen that under this new system, more than two lakh receipts were deposited within a few days. People from other provinces and districts of Punjab are also asking through calls to launch it in their province or city which is a proof to this scheme, he added. He said that citizens should discharge their responsibility and get prizes through receipts from restaurants.

He said that “Amanat scheme” is a transparent and equipped with digital technology. He said, however, this scheme will be promoted through awareness campaign which will strengthen tax culture. Shehbaz Sharif said that taxes are very important for financial affairs of the government and provision of facilities to the people and payment of dues are also conditioned with recovery of taxes. He said that taxation process is a gateway to the development and observing the ceremony of tax day is aimed at promotion of tax payment culture by creating awareness among the people.

He said it is basic responsibility of the government to spend the amount received through taxes on public welfare transparently. However, the citizens hesitate to deposit tax when they are not sure of transparent use of their tax amounts and feel that their tax will be go to waste through collusion of politicians, bureaucrats and contractors. He said that Punjab government has launched new scheme with full incentives for removing these apprehensions and is completely computerized.

He said that there are flaws in tax collection system however, PML-N government has removed these flaws to a considerable larger extent and Punjab government has promoted transparent culture in the province. He said that all the resources are being spent on provision of best services to the people.

A mega project is being executed for the provision of potable water to the people of rural areas for which billions of rupees have been allocated, he added. He said that under land record management system with a cost of Rs.14 billion, service centers in 143 tehsils are providing facilities to the people of the province. He said that citizens are getting ownership deeds of their lands in half an hour without any bribe. However, he said that due to this new system, Patwar and Tehsildar culture prevailing for the last 68 years is dying. He said that land record of 22 thousand villages has been computerized.

Similarly, he said that Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads Programme is another excellent programme of spending resources on the people under which high quality roads are being constructed in rural areas in the province. He said that the rural economy will prosper through these roads being constructed at a cost of billions of rupees.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab Educational Endowment Fund is another revolutionary programme of Punjab government under which, 1.5 lakh less privileged, brilliant and deserving girl and boy students are studying in prestigious educational institutions of the country and abroad. Referring to Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project, Shahbaz Sharif said that it is a project of common man of Pakistan through which workers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, nurses, labourers, working women, widows and government employees will travel in a dignified manner. He said that metro train is decent source of travelling and will be executed speedily.

The Chief Minister said he will not tolerate that the elites of the country travel by costly vehicles but 95 percent poor people by dilapidated buses. He said that he will complete metro train project at all costs for providing international standard traveling facilities to the common man as common man also have right over resources and Punjab government is determining their right to them through public welfare projects. He said that the country can be made Pakistan of Quaid and Iqbal through ensuring socio-economic justice to the people.

He said that Orange Line Metro Train is not of elites but common man project, therefore, a handful elites should not oppose it. On launching of RIMS, Shahbaz Sharif congratulated Finance Minister, Minister for Excise & Taxation, Chief Secretary, concerned secretaries, Secretary Information, DGPR, Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board, Chairman Punjab Revenue Authority and the whole team and said no doubt, their efforts are laudable due to which latest system has been introduced in the province. He also thanked the people and restaurant owners who supported this new culture. He said that payment of taxes is a national obligation and resources collected through taxes are spent on providing basic amenities to the people.

The Chief Minister assured that Punjab government will continue to spend money collected through taxes on public welfare projects transparently and honestly. He said that Amanat Scheme will be forwarded by considering as a trust. He said that resources will be spent on the provision of health, education and other basic facilities honestly and the country will become self-reliance and achieve a commendable place among the comity of nations besides the respect of green passport will be enhanced.

Shahbaz Sharif announced that under restaurant invoice monitoring system, balloting of Amanat Scheme will be held every month but added that he will try to hold balloting twice a month. At the end of the function,  MoU was signed between Punjab Revenue Authority, Punjab Food Authority and Tourism Development Corporation Punjab under which majority of affairs of restaurant and hotel industry will be monitored by Punjab Food Authority.

He said that matters of tax collection will be look after by Punjab Revenue Authority while Tourism Development Corporation will check the matters of promotion of tourism. Under MoU, all the three institutions through department collaboration will ensure timely payment of tax, provision of food in accordance with hygiene principles and promotion of tourism industry and all will also do joint certification for the restaurants.

Provincial Minister for Excise & Taxation Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman while speaking on the occasion said that today is of very importance with regard to promotion of tax culture. He said that progress and prosperity of the people is impossible without increasing tax revenue. Punjab government has taken lead by launching restaurant invoice monitoring system, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha said that today is important day in the history of Punjab when new a tradition has been introduced for promoting tax culture in the province. She said that increase in revenue is vital for the provision of health, education, public transport and other services to ten crore people of the province and for this purpose there is a need of promoting voluntarily taxpaying culture. She said that Punjab government has taken right step towards this direction.

Chairman Punjab Revenue Authority Dr. Raheel Siddiqui highlighted new system and Amanat Scheme. He informed that this programme includes 90 restaurants and this system will be expanded to all the districts of Punjab. He said that under restaurant invoice monitoring system, more than 300 prizes have been kept in first balloting which includes three vehicles, five Umrah tickets and five motorcycles.

Chairman Punjab Information Technology Dr. Umar Saif highlighted the procedure of balloting of Amanat Scheme. During the ceremony, lucky persons of first balloting under Amanat Scheme was announced in a very transparent manner and Chief Minister also talked on telephone to lucky persons winning prizes through balloting.

The Chief Minister also distributed shields among the restaurant owners included in the scheme.

Provincial Ministers Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman, Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Asif Saeed Manis, Members National and Provincial Assembly, owners of restaurants, representatives of traders organizations, senior officials of telecom companies, citizens and columnists, representatives of World Bank, DFID and other donor organizations were present on the occasion.

Members National and Provincial Assembly and Divisional and District Authorities participated in the ceremony through video link from the offices of Divisional Commissioners and DCOs of Punjab.