Latest news with #FATA
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Indian aggression: Gandapur felicitates nation for befitting response
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, while addressing a jirga in Peshawar, extended felicitations to the entire nation for a befitting response to Indian aggression and said that founding chairman PTI Imran Khan, despite being unjustly imprisoned, united the entire nation against Indian hostilities—proving himself a true leader. Expressing his gratitude to Imran Khan and his supporters, Ali Amin Gandapur said their unwavering stand was instrumental in defending Pakistan. 'We have demonstrated national unity above political differences for the sake of the country's sovereignty and integrity,' he said. The Chief Minister also called on the federal government to avoid imposing taxes on the erstwhile FATA and PATA regions, arguing that the local population is not financially capable of bearing such burdens. 'These areas have been severely affected by the war on terror and require significant investment,' he emphasized. Highlighting the sacrifices of people from merged districts, the chief minister urged the federal government to fulfill all promises made to them. He demanded immediate release of compensation funds for displaced persons from these regions and called for an end to drone strikes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing civilian casualties. He also demanded for the immediate inclusion of the merged districts' share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. 'We are not asking for another province's share—we're demanding our rightful due,' he said. The Chief Minister further urged the federal government to release all pending dues owed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including net hydel profits and the province's full share in the tobacco cess. 'These are the rightful entitlements of our people,' he asserted. In his address, the Chief Minister urged the reinstatement of the traditional jirga system to sustainably resolve disputes in the merged districts. He also demanded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's inclusion in peace talks with neighbouring Afghanistan, warning that excluding the province would render the negotiations incomplete. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
OICCI demands implementation of tax reforms
KARACHI: The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) has called on the government to immediately implement long-delayed tax reforms, including a phased reduction in the corporate tax rate from 29 percent to 25 percent by 2030, to align Pakistan with regional economies and attract sustainable foreign direct investment. Declaring that Pakistan is at a crossroads, OICCI Secretary General M Abdul Aleem warned that the window for reform is rapidly closing, and stressed the need for a fair, predictable, and investment-friendly tax regime in the upcoming Budget 2025-26. 'If we want to attract sustainable investment, widen our tax base, and support economic growth; the time to act is now, and initiate long term tax reforms. OICCI's proposals are not just about reducing taxes, they're about creating a system that is fair, predictable, and future-ready.' Talking to Business Recorder on Budget proposals related to tax, the Secretary General said that every year the OICCI, after consultation with its members, put forward practical, data-backed recommendations to the government of Pakistan whose aim is to encourage investment, promote ease of doing business, and a growth-oriented tax system. OICCI seeks key tax reforms to increase tax-to-GDP ratio For Budget 2025–26, OICCI focused on five key areas including corporate tax rationalisation, broadening of the tax base, encouraging local manufacturing, supporting exports and green investments, and easing compliance for taxpayers. 'We have also proposed a gradual phasing out of the super tax; 6 percent this year, 3 percent next year, and full elimination by FY28,' he added. OICCI strongly believes the proposed action will encourage formalisation and ease the burden on compliant taxpayers who are currently facing a disproportionately high effective tax rate, he said. Aleem said that broadening the tax base remains a high-priority area and all sectors especially trade, agriculture, and services to be brought into the tax net proportionate to their share in GDP. It has observed that with some extra efforts there is data available in the overall banking and trade system to broaden the tax base. In addition, OICCI has also called for a timeline to phase out tax exemptions in FATA/ PATA, greater transparency in refund disbursements, and strict enforcement against the illicit tobacco trade. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
CM makes pitch for K-P role in talks with Kabul
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has demanded that the K-P government be made a part of peace talks with neighboring Afghanistan, warning that excluding the province would render the negotiations incomplete. Addressing a jirga in Peshawar, K-P Chief Minister Gandapur extended felicitations to the entire nation over a befitting response to Indian aggression, saying that PTI founding chairman Imran Khan, despite being unjustly imprisoned, united the entire nation against Indian hostilitiesproving himself a true leader. Expressing his gratitude to Imran Khan and his supporters, Gandapur said their unwavering stance was instrumental in defending Pakistan. "Despite political differences, we have forged national unity for the sake of the country's sovereignty and integrity," he said. The chief minister also called on the federal government to avoid imposing taxes on the erstwhile FATA and PATA regions, arguing that the local population is not financially capable of bearing such burdens. "These areas have been severely affected by the war on terror and require significant investment," he emphasized. Highlighting the sacrifices of people from merged districts, the chief minister urged the federal government to fulfill all promises made to them. He demanded immediate release of compensation money for people displaced from these regions and called for an end to drone strikes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing civilian casualties. He also demanded immediate inclusion of the merged districts' share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. "We are not asking for another province's share — we're demanding our rightful due," he said. The chief minister further urged the federal government to release all pending dues owed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including net hydel profit and the province's full share in tobacco cess. "These are the rightful entitlements of our people," he asserted. In his address, the chief minister urged the reinstatement of the traditional jirga system to sustainably resolve disputes in the merged districts. He also demanded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's inclusion in peace talks with neighboring Afghanistan, warning that excluding the province would render the negotiations incomplete.
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sabah starts preparation for ASEAN Travel Exchange
Tan (standing at right) briefing Liew (seated at left) on ATE 2025. KOTA KINABALU (June 3): Preparations are underway for Sabah to host the two-day ASEAN Travel Exchange (ATE) 2025 this month, says Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Seri Christina Liew. ATE 2025 is a premier Business 2 Business (B2B) networking event in Sabah, connecting travel trade sellers and regional buyers to foster partnerships and collaborations on June 19 and 20. The minister said the State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS) will host this inaugural mega tourism event at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC). Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has been invited to officiate at the opening ceremony on June 19. Liew said KePKAS supports the proposal for four organisations to establish strategic partnership with Sabah Tourism Board (STB) in organising ATE 2025. They are the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA), Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations (FATA), Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) and AirAsia Group. ASEAN has 10 member countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. For ATE 2025, the target audience will be made up of tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers, homestay operators, product owners and decision-makers from the industry stakeholders. 'As we gear up for the upcoming event, I have been informed by the president of FATA (Datuk Tan Kok Liang) that 354 delegates from 17 countries have already confirmed their participation. They comprise 125 sellers and 229 buyers,' said Liew after a courtesy call by a delegation from the organisers, recently. According to Tan, seller countries include Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei and Cambodia, with Malaysia leading the list with 88 sellers. 'On the buyers' side, top participating countries include the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Thailand. This strong regional presence underscores growing international interest in Malaysia's tourism offerings, particularly in Sabah, which continues to gain traction as a vibrant and strategic tourism hub in the region,' he said in his briefing for the minister. Also present were the Ministry's Permanent Secretary Datuk Josie Lai, President of MATTA Nigel Wong, Chairman of MATTA Sabah Mohd Azlan Saleh, and Immediate Past Chairman of MATTA Sabah, Lawrence Chin.
Daily Express
26-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
ATEX 2025 to forge stronger collaborations
Published on: Monday, May 26, 2025 Published on: Mon, May 26, 2025 Text Size: Hajiji presents a memento to Aseanta President Eddy while Joniston (second right), Tan (second left), Nigel (left) and Zamani (right) look on. The ASEAN Travel Exchange (ATEX) 2025, scheduled to be held here on 19 June will bring together regional tourism players to forge stronger collaborations within the ASEAN tourism industry. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was briefed on ATEX 2025 by a delegation of high-powered tourism players at Menara Kinabalu today. Federation of Asean Travel Association (FATA) President Datuk Tan Kok Liang said ATEX 2025 will be the first international B2B tourism event to be hosted and is expected to bring in 200 international buyers and 100 regional sellers for trade, dialogue and collaboration in the tourism sector. Supported by the State Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment and key tourism organisations, ATEX 2025 is set to be a game changer in positioning Sabah to the forefront of regional and international tourism markets. The delegation comprised of Asean Tourism Association (Aseanta) President Eddy Krismeidi, Federation of Asean Travel Association (FATA) President Datuk Tan Kok Liang, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) President Nigel Wong and Air Asia Director, Global Policy and Government Relations, Zamani Rafique. Joining the delegation was Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister and Chairman of Sabah Tourism, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
