Loud Thinking

Posts Tagged ‘National’

Proposal for enhancing the prestige and honour of the national awards.

It is proposed that in future, an independent commission may be formed, to scrutinise the deserving cases for the grant of national awards, so that the practise of EVERY government favouring their own toadies & lackeys’ is abolished for ever; and the honour and prestige of the national awards are enhanced: rather than being lowered to the abyss.

After-all national awards are national awards not government awards.

IS THIS THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ISLAMABAD OR OF PAKISTAN?

The National Assembly of Pakistan has at last unanimously passed the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2012; which is related to free and compulsory education for all the children from the age of five to sixteen, as a fundamental right; and its provision is a responsibility of the state. 

However, our NA passed the aforesaid bill which is only applicable to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Now the general public is right in  asking the question to the Pakistani National Assembly members, whether other areas of the country does not come under the Parliament? And why they have limited the partial and vital scope of the bill to the capital areas of Islamabad only. 

The bill also bounds private schools. to give free education to 10% of the poor children in the vicinity of their school. In India. this ratio is 25% and since, we are much behind India and all other SAARC nations in the field of education, this percentage at least should have been 30%, and that too FOR SCHOOLS ALL OVER PAKISTAN AND NOT ONLY IN ISLAMABAD. IS THIS THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ISLAMABAD OR OF PAKISTAN?

May be, our NA members are afraid of the private schools owners? So much for the love of the poor, by our parliamentarians.

May be, such performances of our Parliamentarians has created hatred for politicians and democracy in the minds of the general public, which always, repeat always welcomes military takeovers in Pakistan.

How to involve public in increasing tax collection.

Without going into big preamble, I would jot down my suggestions for evolving a national culture of tax payment.

It is most difficult part in any culture to motivate its people to pay tax voluntarily. However, when tax burden, its collection and utilization is made equitable and transparent, majority of people, if not all, would pay their taxes on time and in full.

Although my suggestions would not cover all aspects, yet, when implemented these would definitely prove a major step forward towards establishing a society which pay its tax and feel proud of their contribution.
 
1.       Recognize tax payers and their contribution by:
 
a)      All those who pay personal income tax > Rs. 2.5 million in any one year should be on the list of invitees at President’s  receptions. While all those who pay personal income tax > 1.0 million in any one year should be on the list of invitees at Governor’s receptions.
 
b)      All those who pay personal income tax above Rs. 1.0 million in a year should be honored by nation by allowing them to fly national flag on their motor vehicles and at their residences.
 
c)       Honorary magistrates should be appointed from the list of those who have paid personal income tax above Rs. 0.5 million.
 
d)      Contribution of all personal income tax payers should be recognized by giving them national awards on 23rd March. Suggestions for honor list are:

Personal income tax payment > 5.0 million for 3 years consecutive – Nishan-e Kidmat
Personal income tax payment > 2.5 million for 3 years consecutive – Hilal-e- Kidmat   
Personal income tax payment > 1.0 million for 3 years consecutive – Sitara-e-Kidmat
Personal income tax payment > 0.5 million for 3 years consecutive – Tamgha-e- Kidmat
 
e)      All those citizens paying personal income tax > 1.0 million in any one year should be allowed one free arms license up to a maximum of three licenses.
 
f)       All registered income tax payers should be allowed free registration at NADRA for NIC renewal/reissue.
 
g)      Driving License fee of all registered personal income tax payers should be abolished.
 
h)      All income tax payers should be allowed 25% rebate in car/motorcycle registration at the time of purchase, and 50% rebate for annual registration after they have paid income tax for three consecutive years.
 
i)        All those who have paid personal income tax above Rs. 100,000 should be allowed free of cost new passport or renewal.
 
j)        When appointing members of board of governors of banks/corporate bodies/Government institutions/University Syndicates, these should be selected from the list of citizens who pay personal annual income tax above Rs. 1.0 million.
 
k)      All those Pakistanis sending remittances from abroad should also be recognized for their contributions. Some suggestions are:
 
1)      All those who remit more than $10,000, should be allowed to recommend one of their family member in Pakistan for one free arm license.

2)      All those who remit more than $25,000 should be allowed free passport renewal.

3)      All those who remit $10,000 or more, should be given 2.5% bonus (or Rs.2.50 per dollar) as incentive to use official channels. This incentive should be paid as certificates of investment, cashable after five years. These certificates should carry 10% annual profit and be tradable on stock exchanges.

4)       All those who have remitted $1.0 million or more in a year, should be allowed to hoist national flag on their homes in Pakistan.
 
l)        Peace and Harmony committees should be formulated at police station level. Only income tax payers should be included as private members in these committees.
 
m)    It should be made mandatory for all public office holders and all government employees to get personal income tax registration, even if their total income is less than minimum level. 
 
n)      It should be mandatory for all business accounts to provide national tax number. No bank should be allowed to operate any business account without NTN. All new firms, should be required to provide NTN within 90 days, otherwise their account should be frozen automatically.
 
o)      All bank accounts where credit or debit balance exceeds Rs. 500,000 should automatically (same day) be reported to Income Tax department, unless banks already have NTN in their possession. This includes all type of investments, as well. In case of default, banks/investment institutes  should be heavily penalized.
 
p)      No property (plot/shop/flat/house/farm/agri land etc) should be registered without NTN of buyer.
 
q)      No motor vehicle should be registered without NTN of buyer.
 
r)       Retired persons with no income, continue to file their income tax returns for three years. This should be abolished. Need to file return after retirement should be finished. However, their NTN should be kept alive/valid throughout their life like NIC.
 
2.       Tax collection system should be reformed. Apart from detailed overhauling of FBR, following changes should be announced immediately:

a)      Chairman FBR should be an eminent person without any political affiliation and with experience of business management. He should be selected from private corporate sector. Appointment of Chairman should be for one term three years.

b)      FBR should be given constitutional autonomy in operational matters.

c)       An FBR Supervisory Board should be constituted whose remit should be to quarterly review FBR’s working and submission of quarterly reports to government of its findings and recommendations. This report should simultaneously be published on internet. This board should consist of Finance Secretaries of Pakistan and all provinces, Auditor General of Pakistan, two prominent chartered accountants (non-political) from private sector, Leaders of Opposition in Senate and National Assembly, Chairman Public Accounts Committee.

International Women’s Day – A Proposal for Emancipation of Pakistani Women.

It is proposed that a resolution may be moved in ALL Provincial Assemblies and a legislation in National Assembly be enacted to ensure that Pakistani women are not dis-enfranchised in any constituency of general, bye-elections and local body polls by a pact between all the candidates that they will not allow their women to cast votes.

A law can be passed that if women votes are not cast in any election, that candidate will not be declared a winner. In other words, no election will be valid without women votes.

The Cabinet Meeting was to be held – the ADC inquires, “Sir what will be served in the meeting…Tea or Coffee?”
 
Sir (Quaid-e-Azam) looked up and replied sternly…the ADC was taken aback!

“Whichever of the Ministers wish to have tea or coffee should drink it before leaving his home or when he returns home. The Nation’s money is for the Nation and not for the Ministers!”
 After this instruction – as long as he was the Head of the nation …nothing except water was ever served in the Cabinet meetings. 
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Some items amounting to Rs.38.50 had been purchased for the Governor General’s House. He asked for the bill; a few items were purchased on Mohtarima Fatima Jinnah’s request; he gave instructions that the amount was to be deducted from her account. A couple of items were for his own personal use…their amount to be deducted from his personal account. The remaining items for the Governor House, he said, may be charged to the Government. Instructions were issued to check and make sure what may be charged to the government in the future. 
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When the brother of the British Emperor – Duke of Gloucester was going to visit Pakistan – the British envoy requested that he receive him at the Airport. He replied, “if I do so then the British head of state (King) would have to reciprocate when my brother would visit London”.
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Once the ADC placed a Visiting Card before him…he took it and tearing it said, “Tell him not to come here before me, in  future!” the card was his brother’s and his fault..? Printed under the brother’s name was…Brother of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Governor General Pakistan. 
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During the severe winter of Ziarat, Col. Ilahi Bukhsh offered him a pair of socks. He liked them but inquired about the price. On learning that the price was Rs.2/-, he said the price was high. Col Ilahi Bukhsh replied that “the socks had been purchased from your account” to which the answer was that “even my account is a National trust…the Head of a poor country should not be so extravagant!” With that he rewrapped the socks and returned them to the Colonel. 
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He was impressed with the work of a particular Nurse in Ziarat and asked if he could do something for her. She said that she was from Punjab and all her family were there, she was alone in Quetta; could he could have her transferred to Punjab. He answered rather regretfully, “I am sorry…this is in the hands of the Health Ministry and not the Governor General’s jurisdiction.”
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He ordered a writing table to be installed in his plane…when the File reached the Finance Ministry; the finance minister sanctioned it but sent a written note stating, “The Governor General must ask the Finance Ministry before issuing any such Order”. He gave a written apology and withdrew his previous order.
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There is the incident of the Railway track barrier/gates which is well known. When Gul Hasan (his ADC, later C-in-C Pakistan Army) requested the railway track gates to be opened so that his car may pass over unhindered, his face turned red in anger and he ordered the gates to be shut saying, “If I do not obey rules – who else will!”