Punjab Assembly approves ‘agriculture tax bill’ aimed at taxing livestock income

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Thursday passed the Punjab Agricultural Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2024, despite strong opposition from PPP and PTI lawmakers.

The controversial bill, amending the 1997 law, brings the income generated from the livestock into the tax net.

As per the legislation, the tax defaulter will pay Rs10,000 fine on income less than Rs1.2 million, Rs20,000 on income less than Rs40 million, and Rs50,000 on income above R40 million.

The newly passed bills stated that “there was a need to levy equitable Agricultural Income Tax, in accordance with the income generated from agricultural income.”

Punjab Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that a new ‘regime of agriculture’ was being established through this amendment bill and added that all the amendments suggested by the opposition had been rejected.

PPP parliamentary leader Ali Haider Gilani said that the PMLN-led government had not shared the draft of the bill or taken them on board over the bill.

Former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s son said that being a pro-farmer political party, PP takes the issue of farmers as very sensitive and no pressure on them could be endorsed.

“It seems that the government doesn’t need our votes and can get the bill passed from the house without the support of its allies and based on its strength. But the PPP won’t become a part of the bill,” he added.

The main opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) criticised the government for imposing a 15 per cent tax on farm income between Rs0.6 million and Rs1.2m per annum and not considering the seven amendments recommended by the party.

PTI senior legislator Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan termed it a black day for agriculture, claiming that under Article 142 of the Constitution, the agriculture sector cannot be taxed. “The standing committee did not make as part of its report the amendments to the bill suggested by the PTI lawmakers and the dissenting note given by some members.”