US Treasury Dept: Pakistan Must Raise Taxes
Deputy Treasury Secretary Says Pakistan Needs VAT
In comments published today in a Pakistani business paper, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin pressed for Pakistan to dramatically raise taxes, insisting that “Pakistanis pay less for their government than nearly any other country in the region.”
To that end, Secretary Wolin urged Pakistan’s parliament to enact value-added tax (VAT) legislation. The comments echoed those made in September by the International Monetary Fund.
In both cases the comments were aimed at reducing Pakistan’s growing dependence on foreign aid, but coming from a US Treasury official they may prove to exacerbate the growing Pakistani resentment over what they see as internal meddling by America.
With Pakistan’s economy in tatters, there has been considerable resistance to the flurry of calls to increase taxes in the nation. With the Zardari government looking to increase spending across the board and the cost of its assorted military campaigns spiraling, the nation will probably be looking to US and other foreign aid for the forseeable future.
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Robert Fisher
February 13th, 2010 at 6:58 am
The USA wants Pakistan to raise it's Taxes to get enough funding to purchase the extra Weaponry needed to combat the Talibans newly aquired Strategies. Obama, raise your own Taxes. Pakistanis are burdened enough and are tired of your command. you think that every Country is hosting a Poodle like Toni Blair ?
you know, the english man with the bloody Hands ?
Chris Lawrence
February 13th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
What business is it of the US what Pakistan charges for tax? If the US doesn't want to send aid anymore, great, then stop sending it. They always attach too many strings anyway.
bogi666
February 13th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Why doesn't the USG decrease the Pentagon budget. The Paki's are successfully playing the USG and its leaders are addicted the the corruption derived from USG aid. Besides, just what is the USG going to do if the Paki's don't raise taxes, invade and occupy Pakistan? This is just bluster from the USG, the Paki's know it and it's the USG that have compelled the Paki's to be involved in the war that the USG has created. ThePaki's, rightfully so, conclude that the USG should pay for their own wars and if they want Pakistan involved the USG, American taxpayers, will pay the bill. The USG and society are co-dependent and Pakistan will not be our enablers.
bogi666
February 13th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
The problem with the USG they think the rest of the world is as ignorant as Americans, whom are IGNORANT co-dependent NARCISSISTIC CONSUMERIST GLUTTONS.
Guest
February 13th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Has Pakistan become a new US State, and I did not hear about it? What business is it of US Treasury official to stick his nose into another country's taxes. We all mush have lost our collective minds, to make our official so comfortable in his apparent new set of duties. Naturally, Pakistan needs to somehow pay for all the military toys we are marketing, so this is "logical".
Such is a life in matrix.
JDonald
February 13th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
American meddling in the internal affairs of other countries has become pathological. I left the USA after 9/11 to return to Canada, since I knew their response to 9/11 would be wrong. They should not interfere in other country's affairs unless asked. Most of their presence around the world was not asked for and just leads to resentment, not security. The USA is the highest indebted nation in the world today and is in no position to lecture others on fiscal matters. Their debt could take the rest of the world down. And until they stop opening every national and local event with the words "the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air", I suspect that the subliminal indoctrination of the "goodness of warfare" will continue to be with them. Please write a different national anthem or at least different words for your current one.
bogi666
February 13th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
America the Beautiful Would be a much better national anthem. Interesting to note that the Star Spanled Banner was written during the war 0f 1812, I think, a war the USA lost to the English who burned the White House to the ground.
j r r
February 13th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
The Pakistani leader should publicly and literally tell the US government to mind it's own fucking business and to go fuck itself.
Ira7Epstein
February 13th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Can you imagine what hell would be unleashed if a foriegn government tried to tell the US government to raise taxes? And should not the US government get its own fiscal house in order before lecturing other countries on what they should do to get their fiscal house in order? Talk about ignoring the log in your own eye while focusing on the speck in the eye of your neighbor!
How Dare Pakistan Have Low Taxes? « LewRockwell.com Blog
February 13th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
[...] US Wall Street-Treasury Dept. orders Pakistan to raise its taxes, so it can pay to kill more of its own people for the US. [...]
roger
February 14th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
all i can say is what a damm jerk idiot. just raise taxes and all is going to be well. moron jerk
Inspector Clouseau
February 14th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
The IMF may be going senile. VAT is the most complicated tax to collect as it requires nearly all members of the supply chain to report to the government. A better start would be requiring all businesses to use cash register. Then when they get used to they idea of modern accounting, it is too late. I suspect that the reason power companies are so pressed, as Wolin points out, is they are paying all the taxes. Taxes on auto parts and fertilizer might work.
In fairness to the Pakistanis I suspect that NATO truck traffic is untaxed. Maybe a toll on unmanned aerial vehicles.
US Treasury Dept: Pakistan Must Raise Taxes « LewRockwell.com Blog
February 14th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
[...] Antiwar.com: In comments published today in a Pakistani business paper, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal [...]
More Foreign Policy Arrogance | Tenth Amendment Center Blog
February 15th, 2010 at 7:30 am
[...] Via Jason Ditz [...]
Valerianus
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:12 am
When the Roman Emperor sends his legate to the tributary kingdom to make sure the tributary kingdom does not become an imperial liability, we have scenarios like this one.
Valerianus
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:14 am
This is the naked reality of the US empire. A tributary vassal state is perceived as becoming a liability instead of a source of revenue.
M S Sheikh
December 5th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Tax medicines, books and milk to name a few essential and basic items along with other nearly 600 items to win the hearts and minds of the people of Pakistan. This is what the corrupt rulers of Pakistan are going to do and the US and the UK support them.
The US and the UK also support, sponsor and invite to their countries knowing fully well that they are the most hated rulers ever by the Pakistanis.