ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Spokesperson on Economy and Finance Muzzammil Aslam on Thursday said additional taxes worth Rs30 billion would be imposed on the masses.

“The government is gearing up to bring another mini budget. This will be fifth mini budget in five weeks. The sixth one will come in September,” Muzzammil Aslam wrote in a tweet.

In another tweet, he said the government was considering to decide petroleum prices on weekly basis. “I think it will be good for both consumers and the government. The move will create shock absorber,” he said appreciating this government move.

On the flip side, the government has announced to withdraw the fixed tax scheme for traders for one year, Bol news channel reported on Thursday.

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and Power Division Minister Khurram Dastagir announced that on insistence of the Pakistan Muslim League-N leadership, specially Vice President Maryam Nawaz, they were removing the fixed tax on electricity bills for one year. He said traders had also been demanding the same.

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“There will be no fixed tax in the current financial year’s electricity bills as the tax is deferred for one year,” Miftah Ismail said.

Meanwhile, the Finance Division on Thursday said that there was no authenticity in such news and no decision had so far been taken by the government regarding fixed taxes.

However, talks were held with traders and business community on taxes on electricity Bills, said a press release issued here by Finance Division.

On August 2, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail had said that reviews were being carried out for resolving issues related to imposition of tax on electricity bills, property and sales tax.

He had said this while talking to a delegation of Mardan Chambers of Small Traders and Small Industry (CSTSI), headed by its president, Muhammad Fayyaz Khan and President Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajraan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sharafat Ali Mubarak, a press statement issued by the Ministry of Finance had stated.

Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industry Rana Ihsan Afzal and other senior officers had also attended the meeting, it had added.