Quetta: Chief Minister (CM) of Balochistan, Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri, has directed the concerned authorities to make efforts to increase provincial tax collections.
This decision was made in a high level meeting headed by CM Balochistan to review the sources of income, increase in the revenue of the province, and other related issues at Chief Minister’s Secretariat here on Friday.
Chief Secretary Balochistan Saifullah Chattah and Secretaries of concerned departments were present in the meeting while Secretary Finance Akbar Hussain Durrani briefed the meeting about the sources of income and revenues of the province.
Government of Balochistan has decided to thoroughly utilize the powers delegated to it under the 18th Constitutional Amendment in the head of collecting taxes as without increasing financial resources of the province the set targets of development could not be achieved.
The meeting was informed that under current fiscal year the province is expected to receive revenue of more than Rs. 206 billion from federal and Rs. 9 billion revenue from provincial taxes.
The meeting was informed that Balochistan Revenue Authority (BRA) collected Rs. 2.36 billion in the head of services last year and for the current year the estimated collection of taxes is Rs. 2.50 billion.
The meeting expressed consensus that without increasing the sources of revenue of the province the set targets of development could not be achieved.
Under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the province would fully utilize its powers and would soon complete the process of amendment in concerned laws. While besides Minerals, Irrigation, Excise and Taxation, Board of Revenue, Energy, Fisheries and Balochistan Revenue Authority other departments having authorities in collecting taxes would be made more vibrant through making their capacity building in collecting taxes and these departments would also set their policies.
The meeting lauded performance of BRA in collecting taxes last fiscal year and decided that it would be made more effective and its tax collecting network would be further expended.
In order to make local bodies financially self-sufficient, the meeting proposed local bodies to introduce substitute tax following the end of Octrio tax due to which the local bodies are facing financial problems.
The meeting decided that after setting up Tax Reform Unit in Finance Department, services of financial experts would be sought who will review various tax laws and would recommend reforms.
Chief Minister Balochistan, Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri addressing the meeting said that the development requirements are higher than that of resources in the hands of province therefore; fulfilling these requirements inevitably requires increase in resources of the province. He said that we would have to formulate such policies through which the province could stand on its own feet financially.
Chief Minister said that public money should be spent upon people, adding that the identification of wrong activities and their prevention was essential. He directed that strict action should be taken against elements wrongly utilizing official resources.
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