The Pakistani authorities have been requested to ‘do more’ by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) than simply abolishing the special tax regime for the building industry. The Fund instructed the Pakistani government to remove the tax exemption granted to non-profit groups and to reconsider the tax breaks provided to charitable institutions. The IMF insisted on the removal of the cabinet members’ discretionary authority and tax collectors. Sources claim that in order for the provinces to collect taxes from the federation and carry out their local tax rules, the IMF required them to cooperate more. It also suggested that the Ministry of Finance create a unit dedicated to tax policy. It was suggested that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and other organisations promptly establish a comprehensive data transfer system.
According to a report released on Friday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) showed a 1.35 percent increase in weekly inflation for all combined consumption groups during the week ending on March 14. The SPI in the aforementioned category for the week under review was 327.21 points, as opposed to 322.86 points for the previous week, based on PBS data. The SPI for the combined consumption group increased by 32.89% during the review week as compared to the same week the previous year. The weekly SPI includes 51 important items for all spending groups and 17 urban locations with a base year of 2015–16 = 100.
President Asif Ali Zardari emphasised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “indispensable” support for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in a letter to the latter on Thursday. In response to Xi Jinping’s congratulations on taking over as president, Zardari expressed gratitude and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to enhancing practical cooperation with China. Zardari emphasised that despite the fact that both nations have made great strides in their bilateral collaboration, particularly with regard to the economic corridor, their bilateral ties have become stronger over time as a result of shared values, respect, and understanding. Referring to the “unique” bilateral relations between the two nations, the president stated, “Strong Pakistan-China relations are key to regional peace, stability, and development.”
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made unexpected trips to several Utility Stores located throughout the federal capital to oversee the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Ramadan Relief Package. He spoke with the programme participants during the visit and asked if they had any problems using the package in any way. He gave the relevant authorities instructions to make sure that eligible recipients of the Relief Package had no trouble using the facility. Speaking at the event, the prime minister said that during the holy month of Ramadan, food items would be given to qualifying families at reduced prices at Utility Stores locations all around the nation as part of the federal government’s historic Ramazan Relief Package, which is valued at Rs 12 billion.
Josep Borrell, the head of EU foreign policy, claimed that Israel was using malnutrition as a “weapon of war” and described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “not a natural disaster.” Borrell declared at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, “This is a man-made crisis.” “We must remember this when we search for alternate means of supplying support by air or sea: starvation is being used as a weapon of mass destruction, and the natural means of supplying support to roads is being closed, albeit artificially closed.” In an attempt to provide a sea route for the desperately required delivery of relief to the war-torn Palestinian enclave, a Spanish humanitarian boat carrying food to Gaza departed Cyprus.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif gave the order to provide a detailed plan aimed at increasing IT exports. He said that the government will act to fully utilise the nation’s billion-dollar potential for IT exports and that the youth would be given access to the necessary resources for startups, education, and skill development. A review meeting on the IT and telecom sector was presided over by the prime minister. The PM Office Media Wing stated in a press release that senior officials, including Shahzad Saleem, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan Jameel Ahmed, Minister of Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Ahad Khan Cheema, and Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja, attended the meeting.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, unexpectedly visited the Model Ramzan Bazaar Control Room in Poonch House on Sunday and examined the monitoring the provincial model market control room’s mechanism. In addition to looking over the Qeemat App dashboard, the CM also saw the district and PITB dashboards that were created for the purpose. The authorities who were concerned with the information on these dashboards briefed her. She emphasised how crucial it is to keep a close eye on the distribution of Ramadan Nighaban packages to recipients’ doorsteps. “I will not tolerate any obstruction or neglect in this regard,” the woman declared. “District Score Cards would be developed on the basis of district administration’s performance in delivering Ramadan Nigahban hampers at beneficiaries’ doorsteps,” the chief minister emphasised.