Former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has criticized the federal government for making expensive imported items cheaper while imposing duties on much needed food items.
In a post on X, the former minister highlighted that Land Cruisers, Range Rovers, imported perfumes and smoked salmon will become cheaper as a result of the recent budget.
He highlighted that on the contrary, the government has decided to impose excise duty on one-day-old chicken, which is the cheapest source of protein in Pakistan.
“Sometimes it is difficult to see what are the priorities of this government other than robbing the poor to pay the elite,” the minister said.
Earlier this week, the government unveiled a major policy change, announcing a substantial cut in restrictive regulatory duties on imports of food, vehicles, and personal care products.
On the other hand, the government has imposed a federal excise duty (FED) of Rs. 10 on day-old chicks, which has alarmed poultry farmers and industry stakeholders.
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Are we forgetting that miftah was pivotal in empowering this govt to do that .Lol he thinks people have forgotten what he did.
Miftah openly advocated that 2 IMF programs must be followed to avoid bankrupting the nation.
When he was FM, he allowed taxes to be imposed .
Lastly he forgot the part that 99% of pakistan doesn’t use land cruisers. But 80% of pakistan consume chicken.
I don’t like these taxes myself. But miftah empowered all of this as well.