There is already growing discontent among Pakistan’s economic community about the ramifications of the tax increases announced by the government earlier this week, and political analysts expressing concern that the tax increases came at the behest of the US Treasury Department.
Yet Pakistan has more to answer to than just its critics, as the Obama Administration is still making demands on them to change economic policies. Now, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has chimed in, demanding that the Zardari government increase taxes on “the very well off” in Pakistan and increase spending on health care and education.
Is it the US State Department’s job to dictate the tax rates of foreign nations? Secretary Clinton certainly seems to think so, insisting that Pakistan’s upper class “do not pay their fair share.”
Adding to concerns, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin tendered his resignation this week, though the government insists this had nothing to do with disagreements over policy. Still, it adds to the uncertainty in a nation already teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and facing dramatic pressure from the US government, as well as the IMF, to dramatically increase their tax rates.
This is a fact that in Pakistan upper class with billions of dollar assets in and outside Pakistan do,nt pay the taxes. This is claer that PPP was always a looters party which his founder Bhutto laid down the principle " He said if you spent one ruppe will earn ten rupees———–one million then ten million etc. Present Govt. is spending money on lawish Bunglows BMW cars and a heard of servans in Prime minister and president house. Sitting in Berlin we know that the assets of Zardari abroad are 16 billion dollars which he made during 1993-6 PPP Govt.
In western countries every polician is account able in Pakistan every thing is wiped out by saying I was so long in Jail and our two leaders were murdered. If it is the criteria then robbers and thief have the wright to rule the country as they are sitting more in Jail.
I would even like to send all these bloody corrupt landlords to jail because they have looted at the same time CSS officers enough is enough but it will not happen as Generals, Css officers and politicians belong to same class.
She should talk to Barack "They are savvy businessmen" Obama before lecturing foreign countries. He ran on a platform of repealing the Bush tax cuts, had an unstoppable majority in Congress, then took repeal off the table and said he would just let them expire.
Why do they always want to try out these exciting new methods in other countries.
Why not right here at home?
Druthers,
Believe it or not, increasing the money supply through monetary inflation and trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see are both forms of taxation. There is no free lunch.
Instead of having the state confiscate our property directly, they're merely putting their spending spree on our national credit card, by debasing the dollar, or both. They get to spend almost without limit, which is what they want, but taking the responsibility for the economic destruction will be pushed of into the future or blamed on capitalists, speculators, or devious foreigners. Anyone but themselves.
Make no mistake: there is one group of people responsible for our economic woes: the government and the banking elite that controls our money. The rest is smoke and mirrors.
My remark was tongue in cheek.
The real spending goes to the military, as Ike pointed out once you blow up a bomb, you have nothing. and to speculation.
These people don't have to break the law, they make the law.