Govt won’t allow misuse of taxpayers’ money: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Asad Umar on Wednesday said the government was reforming the existing tax structure to facilitate taxpayers and eradicate obstacles faced by them, ARY News reported.

He was addressing a gathering organised to honour top tax payers of the country in Islamabad today.

He said he would call the non-tax payers as ‘super dacoits.’

Taking a jibe at the opposition, Umar said: “They come to the National Assembly to hurl abuses at us. And if you go through their tax returns, everything will be exposed”, he added.

He asked what we should call the national wealth plunderers other than a ‘dacoit’. He said the government was going after anyone involved in theft.

The finance minister insisted that no politics was involved in catching the culprits involved in stealing national wealth.

“The message will be conveyed automatically when we nab the big fishes”, he stated. Resultantly those evading taxes will follow the rule and start contributing their share, the minister added.

Describing the complications in the current tax structure, the minister said: “Even families don’t ask such a number of questions, like FBR, while seeing another family for matrimonial purpose.”

He said the public money couldn’t be used for personal properties.

“You can drive luxurious vehicles and we don’t have any issues with it, but we won’t allow creating properties with taxpayers’ money in Switzerland and other countries,” he said.

Asad Umar said the public money should only be used for public welfare.