The tenth IMF review
The tenth review of the 6.64 billion dollar Extended Fund Facility between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team and the Pakistan authorities began in Dubai this week past. There is…
No end to tax amnesties – I
Pakistan is a unique country where the governments-military and civilian alike-have been frequently introducing amnesty schemes allowing whitening of dirty money. In other words, both the Legislature and Executive are…
The IMF’s tenth review – II
The IMF tenth review states that further widening of the tax net and ensuring fairness of the tax system remain important to consolidate the gains in addressing Pakistan's fiscal vulnerabilities…
Naming and shaming the secret owners
According to the IMF estimates between $600 billion and $1.5 trillion of illicit money is laundered annually, equal to 2% to 5% of global economic output. Currently, offshore is where…
The dream of peace
Despite spending billions of dollars, lasting and meaningful peace is still a distant dream in war-torn Afghanistan. By capitalising on Afghanistan’s precarious security situation, Daesh has increased its tentacles in…
Real estate: boom or bust?
The recently introduced measures in budget 2016-17 relating to the real estate sector have dampened the enthusiasm of investors and punters alike, and transactions have thinned out significantly in the…
Budget 2016-17: In the same old mould!-I
Majority of the Pakistanis would certainly be dejected after hearing the budget speech of Ishaq Dar expected on June 3, 2016. Not because there will be no relief for the…
Travel restrictions on US tax defaulters
US tax authorities started the new year with a renewed resolution to fight tax evasion with stricter regulations, including travel restrictions on tax defaulters. On January 01, 2016, a new…
Petty corruption plagues Tunisian economy, experts say
Petty graft plagues Tunisia's economy, nearly five years after state corruption triggered the fall of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, partly due to lack of political will, experts say.…
Tax-to-GDP debates
"We have achieved the highest tax-to-GDP ratio and Pakistan's economy has been stabilising due to prudent policies of my government"-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif purportedly claimed during a meeting with Managing…
