Countering sales tax frauds
Globally, tax crimes have always been a significant threat to economic stability and governance. These offences that include tax evasion, fake invoicing, refund fraud, and misreporting of income, lead to…
Tobacco taxes – treaties, tensions, and trends
Pakistan faces a pressing need for a sustainable tobacco taxation policy, particularly as tobacco use imposes severe health and economic burdens on the country. With over 160,000 deaths annually due…
People vs the system
MUCH will be written about the budget’s specifics, but there is something else on my mind this year. This budget marks nearly a quarter century of back-to-back, virtually nonstop IMF programmes that Pakistan…
Taxing agri incomes
PAKISTAN’S inability to generate enough revenue means it invariably finds itself at the mercy of international lenders. Currently, we are signatories to an IMF deal that binds the government to…
Taxing times
A FRIEND from the banking sector recently told me that he had resigned from his job. He was a pretty senior executive at a local bank. I asked him why…
System reset
THE terror attack in Karachi last week was a terrifying throwback to Pakistan’s lost decade as a result of domestic militancy. The tragic loss of lives, the mounting fear of…
Fully inclusive financial system
One of the mistakes multinational companies make is to look at countries as either 'developed' or 'developing', and then try to shoehorn a product or solution into that country that…
A positive startup ecosystem
The startup ecosystem in Pakistan is at a critical juncture, presenting a unique blend of challenges and opportunities. With a young, tech-savvy population, increasing internet penetration and a growing middle…
OECD, Pakistan & tax evasion
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international organization dedicated to promoting economic development and cooperation among its member countries, conducts extensive research and analysis on a wide…
Got taxes? Post-budget survival guide
Are you feeling disgusted and enraged post-budget 2024? Because every salaried person in the country rightfully is. We have known for decades that there is a need to broaden the…
