IT companies moving other provinces due to high tax rates in Sindh

IT companies are moving from Sindh to different provinces due to high tax rates opposed by the government within the province.

IT companies moving other provinces due to high tax rates in SindhFederal Secretary for Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui revealed about this move during the briefing in Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication chaired by Rubina Khalid.

The secretary said MoITT had submitted recommendations to the PM’s Office for settling issues identified with double tax collection from IT companies. That activity would help in evacuating obstacles in domestic IT business development as well.

The secretary said the prime minister had chaired a high-level meeting with respect to advancement in growth of IT/Telecom sector and resultantly some decisions/directions were currently being implemented.

He said the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was directed for raising limit for remittances for freelancers and the same had been increased to $25,000. Further, the SBP has decided to facilitate opening of bank accounts for freelancers and ensuring all kind of support in this regard.

Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui informed that a summary to the prime minister was under procedure to encourage Pakistani products and to give preference to Pakistani software products by all ministries/divisions, which would help with in the growth of local IT business.

Special Technology Zones will be constructed in the country for advancing in IT growth. In this regard, a PSDP proposal of Rs 6.5 billion has been submitted to the Planning Commission by the MoITT.

Rubina Khalid said that people made fake accounts and offends famous people including parliamentarians to achieve their wicked goals. She said clear directives were given to the FIA for making a move against those individuals. She asked that false rumours were spread about Senators Kulsoom Parveen, Taj Mohammad Afridi, Aitzaz Ahsan and herself, if we are being targeted, than what about the common man?

Khalid further said that basically hindering the records of bogus gossip mongers and informers would not take care of the issue. The board ought to be educated in the following gathering that what are the being looked by the association and what steps the council can take for them.

Simply blocking the accounts of false rumour mongers and accusers would not solve the problem. The committee should be informed in the next meeting that what are the issues being faced and what steps the committee can take for them.