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Army to be used for documenting economy, broadening tax net: CE

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Army services will be utilised to document the economy and broaden the tax net in the country, Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday.

He announced that the strategy would be completed within four weeks to induct the Army for the documentation and to bring maximum number of people into the tax net.

While addressing the heads of the banks and financial institutions, he made it clear that every individual would be documented under the new strategy. He said that budget deficit could be held in check, "if the tax net is broadened".

He appreciated Army's contribution in the economic activity. "We will certainly turn around the deficit into surplus if the Army contributes," Mushrraf said.

He assured the bankers that they should not be afraid of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). "Only those who are corrupt, dishonest and indulge in malpractices, knowingly, for their personal benefit, should be worried," he said.

He further clarified that those who are professional and honest and made legitimate decisions due to justifiable reasons, which later proved wrong, have absolutely nothing to fear.

He advised the bankers to carry on their professional activities without fear of NAB. "If you are doing it honestly, even if it is wrong, you don't have to bother about NAB or any other institutions," he said.

The Chief Executive said that the accountability process would be accelerated and the first tranche of 25 cases with NAB would be coming soon.