ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: Prime Minister Imran Khan said his government was focusing on reforming the system to broaden the tax net and save the common tax payers from extra burden through indirect taxation.

He wondered over how only 72,000 people out the 210 million population were showing their monthly income of over Rs 200,000. “We have to bring the rich into the tax net to save the poor from extra burden.”

The prime minister said the government was also taking measures to check smuggling so as to protect the local industry and investors.

It was also working on the promotion of tourism in the coastal and hilly areas as well as religious tourism, he said, adding Malaysia was earning $ 20 billion per annum through tourism alone.

Imran Khan said besides attracting Hindu and Sikh communities in religious tourism, Pakistan could also attract the people from Budh community as there was a 40-feet rare sleeping Budha in Haripur district.

He said with the highest mountain peaks in beautiful and scenic Northern Areas, Pakistan had huge potential of tourism on which the government was working. “We will also promote eco-tourism.”

The prime minister said the government was also working on legal reforms for speedy justice for the common man, particularly widows and women, ensuring that they get their just rights in the inheritance.

In that respect, he said, a Legal Aid Authority would be established under which the poor and those having no resources to hire a lawyer would be provided with the state counsel to fight their cases in courts.

Similarly, he said, the oversees Pakistanis would be assisted in securing their property and lands in Pakistan from land mafias.

The prime minister said the government was bringing a Whistle Blower Act to identify corruption. Under the law, the person, who would identify the corruption, would get 20% of the recovered amount of the ill-gotten money, he added.

He announced that he would soon launch a Poverty Alleviation Authority (PAA), which would be headed by himself, and Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Zakat and Ushr, Baitul Maal and other such institutions would come under it.

The authority, he added, would make overall supervision of various poverty reduction programmes to cater to the needs of the poor in housing, education, health and other areas.

The prime minister said the federal government had already allocated an amount of Rs 5 billion for the Akhuwat Foundation for the provision of shelter to the homeless poor people.

(APP)

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