All Resources of Gilgit-Baltistan will be consumed locally for the Development Purpose: Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo has said that all the resourced generated from Gilgit-Baltistan will be consumed in the region for the development purpose. He said this while chairing an informal preparatory meeting before formal session of Gilgit-Baltistan Council.

While talking to the participants, Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo said that funds generation is essential for the development of the region and introduction of taxation system is inevitable, however he emphasized that only privileged class be brought under tax net.

He also desired to keep the tax threshold higher and the tax rate half of that in the rest of the country so that the burden of tax should not transmit to the poor sections of the society. Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Pir Karam Ali Shah ,Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah, Ms Farah Naz Asphahani, MNA, Engineer Usman Khan Tarkai, MNA, members Gilgit-Baltistan Council Professor Ghulam Hussain Saleem, Mr. Ibadat Ali, Mr. Saeed Afzal, Mr. Amjad Hussain, Mr. Attaullah Khan, Secretary Ministry of Kashmir Affair and Gilgit-Baltistan and Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan also participated in the meeting.

The minister said that taxes and revenue collected from other sources in GB will be locally consumed for the development purpose. He also advised GB Government and Council to do legislation in the areas of their domain with mutual consultation and understanding, and according to the wished of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah and Chief Secretary |GB termed the tax proposals beneficial for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and pledged that tax collected from the privileged class will be used for the betterment of the poor people. All the members GB Council also discussed the tax proposal in details and agreed to these proposals.

This was a pre-session consultative and consensus building meeting to take all the stake holders on board before starting of the formal session of Gilgit-Baltistan Council. The First formal session of the GB Council will be held on 3rd October 2011, and Council’s Budget will be presented on 7th October.

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