Riaz Khan Daudzai

PESHAWAR: The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has decided to exempt widows, divorced women, special people and home-based businesses from all taxes.

The Social Welfare and Women Development Department of the province has started initial work in this regard and the government would finalise the legal course after the provincial budget, said Minister for Social Welfare and Women Development, Sitara Ayaz, on Tuesday. She told The News that the provincial government had decided to move a bill in the provincial assembly in this regard in the recently adjourned session, but its preoccupation with budget preparation prevented that.

To a question, she said that the government was considering some security features to check any misuse of the exemption.

Ayaz said that income up to a certain level would be exempted. She said they had written to the concerned quarters to propose a limit of the income to be given exemption.

She further said that single mothers running small-scale businesses would also be given exemption from all taxes.

She said that her ministry had carried out initial paperwork for the tax exemption law, which would be sent to the Law Department after the budget.

The bill would then be moved in the provincial legislature, she said.

Ayaz said that in the last three years, concerted efforts were made to bring womenfolk to the mainstream through establishment of women business development centre, she added.

The minister said that the provincial government had also decided to set up housing for working women for which land had been acquired in Hayatabad.

She said women have been given 10 percent quota in government jobs. Besides, 30 percent quota has been fixed for them in Bacha Khan Khpal Rozgar Scheme.

Source: The News

Date:5/11/2011