ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has said that speculations regarding affecting common man through Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2021 are baseless as it is just aimed at reviewing tax exemptions worth Rs342-billion.

Addressing the media along with Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib here on Thursday, he said tax exemptions worth just two billion rupees will be reviewed under this bill that is concerned with the common man. The Minister said no sales tax has been imposed under the bill on tractors, medicines and fertilizers. He said top priority of our government is to strengthen institutions by making them independent.

Shaukat Tarin said under the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2021, the SBP will be held accountable to Parliament, strengthening the country’s law-making institute. He said our government has not borrowed a single rupee from the State Bank during the last two and a half year.