‘Get ready for Rs20/litre hike in petrol price’, warns Saleem Mandviwalla

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Saleem Mandviwalla said that the government has imposed new indirect taxes of Rs27 billion in the budget while the (government) says it has not applied any tax.

Mandviwalla alleged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has copied and pasted the budget while “every year, the PTI government target has been the destruction of tax collection.”

He questioned, a government that does not know how to collect taxes, who will make the budget?

PPP senator claimed that the budget was presented without the approval of the cabinet.

He said that there was discussion of an increase in petroleum levy, “you (Pakistanis) should be prepared to see an increase in petrol price by Rs20 per litre,”

Indirect taxes have been imposed to destroy the people as they will directly affect the poor individuals, in the meantime, online shoppers have also been taxed, he added.

He said that a 17% tax has also been imposed on crude oil, the government should review the imposed taxes, LNG has also been taxed, which is likely to increase the costs of POL products.

The former deputy chairman of the Senate said that there is no relief for the common man in the budget, how will the provinces return the surplus to the federation? he grilled.

The provinces do not return money to the federation while the country's exports have not increased in 7 years.

He told that Pakistan's ‘agenda’ has been dropped from the IMF board meeting and the finance minister himself has said that there were wrong agreements with the IMF.