G overnment Initiative - Prime Minister Imran Khan Invites Facebook and abolish unnecessary taxes.

Byline: S. Kamal Hayder Kazmi

Prime Minister Imran Khan invited Facebook to consider investments to support Pakistani incubators and to assist with digital literacy initiatives. The prime minister was tallking to Ms Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, who called on him in Davos, on the sidelines of WEF Annual Meeting 2020. The Prime minister said the social media platforms should organize third party fact checking services for more responsible digital journalism. The COO Facebook enlarged invitation to the prime minister for visiting Facebook headquarters. On the other hand PM also directed to eliminate needless taxes and inspection and almost 150 licences required for small shopkeepers and businessmen as he vowed to facilitate the commerce community.

While chairing a meeting on licensing regime in the provinces, he also directed all the provincial governments to abolish 74 different licences of this nature. Prime Minister directed to simplify the procedure for essential licences and introduction of automated system through employing lattest technology. He stressed the need for the businessmen to contribute their bit to Pakistan's prosperity through paying their taxes.

Imran Khan lamented that the last governments had wasted public money on lavish lifestyles of their leaders and therefore, the citizens are not willing to pay taxes. When leaders live lavishly on public expense, who will pay taxes, he said, adding that he was trying to change the culture starting with himself. We reduced the expenses of the Prime Minister House by 40 percent, he said. I live in my own home, pay my own expenses.

My salary is not enough to complete my own household expenses, he added. He claimed that his expenses on overseas trips were 10 times less than what was spent through leaders before him. I am just saying that I am starting with myself, he said. There should be a realisation about the need to respect public money, while seeking the business community's support to bring Pakistan out of the crisis. Nations only increase when the whole nation is united. The government of Pakistan alone can't do it. Underlining the need for rise in tax collection, the Imran Khan said that during the first year of his government, half of the amount collected in taxes went towards payment of interest on loans acquired through the last governments.

And yet, we assigned Rs190 billion for the Ehsaas program, adding, however, that there were many sectors that needed improvement...