ISLAMABAD: An important meeting of the ministry of finance with representatives of International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be held today evening (Thursday evening) to finalize the recommendations for budget 2021/2022.
Senior officials of the ministry of finance, three representatives, including country head, of IMF and senior officials of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will attend the meeting, sources said.
Officials of the IMF will attend the meeting through video link.
The meeting will discuss important points of the budget, which will include salary income tax and sales tax reforms.
The sources said that the meeting would finalize tax slabs for salaried persons.
The IMF had proposed reduction in salary tax slabs from 11 to five. Further the meeting will discuss sales tax incentives and reduced rates.
The sources said that the government would finalize the proposals after discussions with the IMF.
The source said that the government is considering an increase of 10 percent in salaries and pension. This increase would be given through adhoc basis. However, the government is not considering to grant the increase in basic pay scale.
The government has decided to allocate an amount of Rs900 billion for Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). The budget deficit may be curtailed at six percent of the GDP.
In his recent statement, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin had already made it clear that the government was not in position to take strict measures due to covid pandemic.
