According to a recent press conference, it is being told that private educational institutions across the country are strongly opposing the government’s new proposal to levy Point of Sales (POS) tax on schools charging a monthly fee of more than Rs 1,000. All schools have warned of nationwide protests if the tax is implemented.
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Dr. Malik Abrar Hussain, the central president of All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association, says that the implementation of this tax will significantly increase the cost of education and the increase will become unaffordable for many families. He explained that the 25 per cent tax increase would significantly increase school fees, with a school currently charging Rs 4,000 and after tax its fee would need to be increased to Rs 5,000, leaving parents but there will be additional burden. He asserted, “This move contradicts the government’s promise of ‘Education for All’ and hampers efforts to tackle the education crisis.”
According to further details, during the meeting of the central executive committee of the association under the chairmanship of Dr. Malik Abrar Hussain, all the members unanimously rejected the decision to impose any kind of tax on educational institutions. In this regard, in the meeting held at the head office of the association, concern was also expressed regarding the recent FSC results of the Federal Board of Islamabad. The association intends to take up these issues with higher authorities and strategize for resolution.
The committee also deliberated on the High Court judgment regarding the non-consensual use of sectoral institutions in Islamabad. The association pledged to prepare an action plan with the Development Authority (DA) once the court’s decision is formalized. Dr. Hussain added that schools across the country were facing political challenges and reiterated his commitment to promoting private and public-private partnerships in education.
Secretary General Muhammad Ashraf Haraj, Javed Iqbal Raja, Irfan Muzaffar Kayani, Malik Hafeezur Rahman, Sardar Gul Zubair Khan, Haji Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Ibrahim, Qasim Abbas, Intizar Hussain, Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, Tariq Mehmood Rizvi and other important personalities participated. Syed Abid Shah and Madam Sadia participated in the meeting. All of them expressed their support by resisting the proposed tax and advocating the interests of students and institutions.