'Salaried-class, leave Pakistan ASAP': Netizens slam PM Shehbaz Sharif over hike in taxes in revised budget

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar have come under fire from the public for introducing a host of new taxes in its revised budget to secure a much-needed bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The revised budget, which was passed on Sunday, aims for an additional Rs 215 billion in tax revenue and a cut in spending by Rs 85 billion for the upcoming fiscal year.

Under the budget, the government has hiked the income tax and the petroleum development levy from Rs 50 to Rs 60 per litre, which is likely to affect all and push the already high prices. But what has irked the people the most is that there is no revision in the federal development budget or the salaries and pensions of government employees. Netizens have blasted the Prime Minister and Finance Minister saying they will destroy the salaried class in Pakistan.

Azeem Bilwani, a supply chain professional, said: "So if you are one of those lucky people whose earning is $56/day or $1,667/month or $20,000/year in Pakistan, you have qualified to be taxed at the highest applicable tax rate of 35 per cent. Wow. What a way to increase tax revenue."

Darvesh R Zuberi, an executive professional, too slammed the government for hiking taxes in the new budget. "2.5% additional taxes on Salaried class while 30% increase on bureaucracy salaries, 17% increase in non-productive resources like pensioners. So the young and productive ones leave the country and corrupt and unproductive ones stay! This is how Dar saves Pakistan!"

Soloman, another user, said 30 per cent of his income will be deducted at source (tax) and then 18 per cent will go into GST for quite literally everything. "Half of my income is going into taxes! And then they ask why such a mass exodus from Pakistan. We hardly get to see the returns on our taxes & you've taxed us even more!"

Another user said he was going to be paying almost two month's gross salary in taxes per year "and in return, I get perfect roads, no tolls, no load shedding, cheaper utilities, free medical, state support in getting a home/car. tch tch the hell get out of Pakistan asap."

Shabana Nisar, a particle physicist, said given the trajectory, it seemed plausible that Ishaq Dar might extend his taxation policies to encompass the salaried class's respiration and oxygen consumption.

Muhammad Hani, a columnist, said the Pakistan FM and the coalition government must be ashamed of approving recent amendments to the budget. "We are so desperate for IMF instead of broadening the tax net, govt has imposed further taxes on the salaried class," he said. Hani said retailers, real estate, and agriculture were again exempted because of elections.

Sohail Shahzad said there was no mercy for the private sector and salaried class when it came to tax increases. "Same was done by (former FM) Miftah Ismail during the last budget and the same is on the cards by Ishaq Dar," he said.

Noor Aawan, another user, also expressed dissatisfaction and said instead of cutting down their perks and privileges, Dar has allocated additional money in the budget for Parliamentarians to go to HAJJ.

https://twitter.com/noor_aawan/status/1672945826476306439

In a tweet, Shehbaz Sharif on June 16 said he was acutely aware of the impact that a fuel price hike causes. He said his government was left with no choice but to raise the prices due to the IMF deal, which the previous government signed.

However, Tariq Mahmood, a Twitter user, asked the prime minister why the country's elite class like the army, judges, and civil servants were given a salary hike. He also asked why this class did not have to make any sacrifices.

Sharing a report that said the Supreme Court's employees will get higher salaries than announced in the budget, Adeel said Pakistan is only for government servants all others simply don't exist.

https://twitter.com/DeelBhai786/status/1672058315730464768

Arshad Ali, a teacher, slammed the budget saying it was the certificate to kill the poor of Pakistan. "This budget is to make the poor more poorer and the Rich Richer," he wrote on Twitter. He also targeted Shehbaz Sharif, saying he had "destroyed the dreams and expectations of the poor".

The recent changes in the budget came a day after Shehbaz Sharif met IMF MD Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the Global Financing Summit in Paris. The IMF's ongoing loan program is set to expire on June 30. Under the $6.5 billion facility's ninth review, negotiated earlier this year, the cash-strapped country has been trying to secure $1.1 billion of funding stalled since November. Earlier, IMF said that without changes in the budget, the staff-level agreement with the IMF cannot be achieved.

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