FBR releases 2018 tax directory for parliamentarians

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued its tax directory of the parliamentarians for the Tax Year 2018.

Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh appreciated the efforts of the FBR for compiling and publishing the tax directory containing tax details of Senators and members of the national and provincial assemblies for the year ending 30th June, 2018.

The finance adviser said transparency in tax governance is key to ensuring an efficient, fair and sustainable tax system which is critical for better economic management.

He said public access to information is an important milestone in ensuring transparency of the tax system which is also a major pillar of the government’s reform agenda.

According to the directory, Prime Minister Imran Khan paid a tax of Rs282,449 in 2018, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari paid Rs294,117 and former president Asif Ali Zardari paid tax of Rs2,891,455.

The tax directory disclosed that President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif paid Rs9,730,545 tax, Federal Minister Hammad Azhar Rs22,445, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Rs183,900 and Hamza Shehbaz paid Rs87,05,368.

Planning and Development Minister, Asad Umar paid 53,46,342 rupees, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz paid Rs367,460 while Azam Swai paid 590,916 rupees,

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Chaudhry Tanvir Ahmed Khan paid 32,38,733 rupees and Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak paid 18,26,899 as tax in the year. Jamaat Islami Ameer Senator Siraj-ul-Haq paid Rs2,16,800 in national exchequer.

Federal Minister for Railways Shaikh Rashid paid Rs579,011 tax, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan Rs1,046,699, Minister for Communications Murad Saeed paid Rs374,728, Maritime Minister Ali Zaidi paid Rs896,191 and Fawad Chaudhry paid Rs16,98,651 rupees in tax during 2018-19.

Meanwhile, the tax directly showed that Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda and former health minister Aamir Kiyani paid no taxes or the amount was unknown.