Public facing cruelty, elite promotion continues - Press Release issued by Pakistan Economy Watch.

Islamabad -- March 13, 2023 (PPI-OT)

Following is the text of press release issued by Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW)

Quote

The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Monday said Pakistan's major problem is not a bad economy but bad politics. The public is being dealt with harshly and their buying power has been eroded while the wealth of the upper class is continuously increasing, it said.

Poor are getting poorer, the middle class is vanishing under inflation while the rich are getting rich with an amazing speed, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President of PEW. He said that the claim of reducing government expenditure is false at best as it will not result in any change. Dr. Murtaza Mughal said that according to the United Nations, the Pakistani elite receives benefits worth 17.4 billion dollars annually, while the government's announcement to reduce expenses if implemented as claimed, will barely save Rs200 billion.

He noted that annually six hundred billion rupees are used for development, while five hundred and thirty billion rupees are being used for pensions, which is being increased every year. Pakistan is the only country in the world whose rulers call their nation tax evaders on domestic and foreign forums, while in reality, the people pay a lot of taxes and the elite are tax evaders, he observed.

Dr. Mughal said that in 2010, the people of Pakistan paid a tax of 1500 rupees, which has now increased to 9400 billion rupees. Taxes are not decreasing but increasing, but at the same time, government expenses are also increasing. In 2010...