ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has rejected media reports that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government was planning to increase income tax on salaried individuals, saying no such proposal was under consideration.
Chaudhry’s comments came after newspaper reports that the government was planning to reverse tax concessions of the previous government and bring down the threshold of income tax exemption on salaried class.
Responding to a question during a press conference here in Islamabad on Thursday, the minister also denied reports of an increase in gas and electricity tariff.
“Often times, newspapers print headlines about things that never happen. They said tariff of gas and electricity was being increased, but it was not true. There were newspaper reports today of the government increasing income tax rates for the salaried class. Nothing like this has happened either,” he said.
Chaudhry said that proposed amendments in the Income Tax ordinance were not on the agenda of the cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier in the day.
He dispelled the impression that federal cabinet had rejected the amendments in the Income Tax ordinance, adding that a decision has been taken to bring the proposed amendments in the next parliamentary session.
