By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 4 -- After the floods in Pakistan, the International Monetary Fund said it was much concerned, was only waiting for a joint assessment mission in order to consider how to help the country.
Now an IMF team in Islamabad is back to playing hard ball, about not only the country's utilities but now its textile sector.
At the IMF's November 4 briefing, Inner City Press submitted two questions, including
“Given the ongoing humanitarian situation in Pakistan, please explain report that “IMF has turned down Pakistan’s request to exempt textile sector from Reformed General Sales Tax.”
To this, spokesperson Caroline Atkinson merely said that with an IMF team in the country, she would not comment. But Pakistani officials have been speaking, off the record, about the IMF's demands.
Inner City Press also submitted this question, while Ms. Atkinson was still speaking:
“In Ukraine, some 2000 small businesses have protested tax increases on them, which they blame on the IMF. What is the IMF's response?”
After the briefing, the following arrived:
Dear Mr. Lee: Regarding your question on Ukraine that came in after the briefing was concluded please be advised that the following can be attributed to an IMF spokesperson:
“The IMF supports the modernization of the tax system in Ukraine in a manner that is consistent with medium term fiscal sustainability. An IMF mission is currently in Kyiv for the first review under the Stand-By Arrangement. The mission will be discussing with the authorities the draft tax code to ensure that is consistent with the program and promotes the rationalization of the tax system, broadens the tax base, and strengthens tax compliance”.
Tell that to the 2000 protesters. Watch this site.
