Jazz Demands Cut in Taxes in Budget 2025-26
Staff Report:
Islamabad: Farrukh Khan, Chief Financial Officer of Jazz has called the government for reducing withholding tax from 15 to 8 percent in upcoming budget 2025-26.
He said while attending the Pakistan Access Day in London.
He stressed on the critical role of enabling regulation in unlocking this potential and made a a key recommendation to reduce withholding tax on telecom services from 15% to 8%.
He said that this is step which would significantly lower the cost of digital access and bring millions more into the formal digital economy.
The Pakistan Access Day in London was a key investor engagement hosted by Jefferies—where he spotlighted Pakistan’s position as a high-potential, underpenetrated digital market poised for rapid growth.
His remarks focused on how smart reforms, especially in taxation, can accelerate the country’s journey toward an inclusive, investment-ready digital economy.
Framing Pakistan as one of the last major untapped digital frontiers, Khan emphasized that the country’s opportunity lies not just in scale but in timing. “With 240 million people, rising smartphone adoption, and broadband penetration still under 60%, Pakistan is not behind—it’s right on the cusp of something transformative,” he noted.best jazz records
He pointed out that despite the global digital shift, Pakistan’s financial inclusion remains limited—only 60% of the country’s 137 million adults currently have access to a formal bank account. However, he described this gap not as a constraint, but as an opportunity to leapfrog traditional models through mobile-first, tech-led solutions.
He said that tax rationalization was not just a fiscal matter but it was also a key step to build a digitally inclusive society.
He also added that affordable connectivity was the gateway to innovation, financial participation, and long-term economic resilience.
Jazz’s own platforms—ranging from JazzCash to Tamasha and Garaj—are already serving millions, but broader impact depends on supportive policy frameworks.
Khan noted that the macroeconomic signals are becoming more favorable, with investor sentiment stabilizing and a stronger push toward public-private collaboration. “The fundamentals are aligning. What we need now is speed and consistency in reform,” he said.
In closing, Khan emphasized that Pakistan’s digital story is shifting from potential to progress—but sustaining that trajectory will require intentional policy action. “We have the users, we have the platforms, and we have the intent. Now, we need policies that keep up with Pakistan’s digital ambition,” he concluded.
