Minister voices hope internship programme will change tax culture


LAHORE: Provincial Caretaker Minister for Finance, Excise and Taxation Syed Zia Haider Rizvi has emphasised that junior and senior internship programmes under the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) will be an effective tool to change tax culture.

“Internees will not only be aware of the complex mechanism of tax collection and improve their learning in different sectors, but will also inform their parents, family members and the society about the importance and need of tax and taxpayers,” he said.

He was speaking at the inauguration of first session of the junior internship programme at the PRA on Monday.

“Public needs to know why the government collects taxes and where the collection is spent,” he said. “Every citizen will understand his responsibility regarding payment of taxes after getting information about educational and health facilities provided to millions of poor citizens through the tax money.”

He called the payment of tax a form of charity, adding it was the best opportunity for the students of schools to be selected for the internship programme and learn under the guidance of policymakers.

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Haider asked the internees to create awareness among people as volunteers for the elimination of poverty and progress of the country.

PRA Chairman Raheel Ahmed Siddiqui, while briefing the minister about details of the internship programmes, said a number of private educational institutes had contacted the authority for internship after successful completion of the senior internship programme, which was encouraging for the authority.

Siddiqui said applications from 800 students of different public and private educational institutes had been received, of which 50 students were being selected for internship at the initial stage. In this programme, 25 students will participate in the first session whereas the remaining will attend the second session.

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He revealed that students had been selected on merit for a 15-day session and after initial training, internees would be provided with opportunities of field survey, monitoring of registered companies and discussion with judges of appellate tribunals in courts.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2018.

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