Asan Tax Scheme registers 9,806 shopkeepers in first month

Nearly 10,000 shopkeepers have joined the Asan Tax Scheme within a month of its launch, with 9,806 registrations recorded so far, a review meeting was told on Friday, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. Profit by Pakistan Today, however, reported a different figure for the same scheme, saying 1,929 new traders had been brought into the tax net.

The Associated Press of Pakistan said the exact tally of 9,806 shopkeepers was presented at the review meeting. The wire service did not name the official who gave the figure, nor did it identify the ministry, department, or agency that convened the meeting.

Profit carried the 1,929 figure in its headline and standfirst. The outlet did not provide a source for the number or explain how it related to the APP count. Neither report reconciled the two figures, and it was not clear from the accounts whether the shopkeeper and trader categories referred to the same registration window or to different groups of businesses.

The Asan Tax Scheme is intended to bring small retailers into the formal tax system. The reports did not specify a registration deadline, the tax rates involved, expected revenue from the new registrations, or a province-wise breakdown. They also did not say whether the scheme applies only to shopkeepers in urban areas or includes retailers in smaller towns and rural markets.

No earlier registration figures were given in either account to show how the scheme has progressed since its launch. The federal government has been working to widen the tax base through simplified registration drives, but the reports did not tie the scheme to any specific revenue target or external condition. APP described the registrations as recorded "so far", indicating the number may have already changed by the time of publication.