ISLAMABAD, (TDI): The Ministry of Finance has revealed that over Rs 3 trillion in taxes has been collected from mobile phone users over the past five years.
The figures, shared with the National Assembly, show that a total of Rs 3.38 trillion was generated from mobile users during this period.
As of August 2024, Pakistan had 193.098 million cellular subscribers.
In a related development, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported a staggering 800% increase in gas prices within just four months.
A session of the National Assembly, chaired by Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah, was held to discuss these price hikes. During the session, it was noted that food inflation has also been rising sharply, with the price of sugar soaring by 53.5% and palm oil by 61% over the last five years.
The PBS also highlighted a 35% increase in the prices of soybean oil, wheat, and crude oil during the same period.
Also Read: Foreign Investors Showing Trust in Govt Policies: PM Shehbaz
Officials have linked the overall inflation to the hikes in electricity and gas prices, which are part of Pakistan’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Media reports indicated that gas tariffs were raised by 520% in November 2023 and by 319% in February 2024, while electricity rates saw increases of 35% in November 2023 and 75% in February 2024.
Also Read: FBR Launches ePayment 2.0 for Easy Tax Payments
Bureau officials emphasised that these significant increases in electricity and gas prices have been major contributors to the country’s overall inflation.
