Perks of being an expat and taxing the rich – this week in Pakistan’s business and economics twittervers

This week we once again find ourselves talking about overseas Pakistanis and just how good they have it – because boy do they have it good. And while we dream of getting to send remittances while the rupee is at an all time low, there are other questions regarding taxing the rich and what is appropriate to put on a CV anymore making the rounds on the internet this week. Ariba Shahid brings you all this and more in this week’s social media roundup. 

 

CV honesty 

Does one really need to mention MS office as a skill in their resume anymore? We assume everyone needs it to pass their undergraduate degree. Then again, if you don’t mention it will employers think you don’t know how to use it? Perhaps we should only mention very specific abilities, like making charts or being an Excel wizard, or knowing how to move images in Word without ruining the formatting of the entire text. What to do, what to do?

Tax the rich (?) 

A dress worth Rs 4 million and you’re not expected to pay withholding tax when buying it, but are expected to pay withholding tax while paying your university and school fee. What a world we live in. On the flip side, we’re sure designers don’t pay their taxes accurately or at all to begin with. Tax the rich! We say it out loud! But don’t think this means those of us here at Profit are about to start sporting “Tax the Rich” in bold red font on our clothes just yet. At least invite us to the Met Gala first. Then we might consider it. 

Investment fomo 

Take the risk because investment fomo is worse than when your friends went to a killer party and chilled with Dwayne Johnson and you decided to stay in that day. But hey, do your due diligence. Because if the investment tanks, then your friends will be feeling the fomo of still having their money. 

God bless the humble calculator 

All you need is a good calculator and calculation skills. Do the math yourself. Does it add up? Go for it. Finance apps are great but nothing beats the confidence one gets by doing their own math.

{Editor’s note: For the mathematically challenged, a calculator app is not just a finance app. It is an essential tool for life. From calculating hours between meetings to figuring out bills in a grocery store – you need it in your life} 

For not the last time, no the PSX is no… 

I wish we got money everytime someone told me the PSX is an indicator of the economy. I relate to this energy Faisal. May the universe find a way to compensate us for dealing with stupidity.

Expensive education 

Schools are outrageously expensive. Like when we say expensive we mean it. Sometimes it makes one feel like you need generational wealth just to be a highschool graduate considering school fees and tuition fees. School owners are probably rolling around in cash.

But did you think- 

The fact that the HBL app crashes every Monday and has become a running joke on twitter is funny. We wonder if it’s the case with all applications and not just HBL, but HBL gets more traction because it has more users?

Benefits of being the favourite 

Do Marlay ka Mou is spot on. Everyone should strive to be an overseas Pakistani because that is how you’re going to get the love you desire from the government. If you’re already an OP and not taking advantage of the love you’re showered with, you’re ungrateful and ofcourse stupid.

Remittances 

Brain drain is bad. But do you blame the people leaving. Better life quality, better opportunities and of course you will be loved by the government because you’re probably going to send in remittances. Also, what is really holding you back here? What incentives do you have?

Ariba Shahid
Ariba Shahid
The author is a business journalist at Profit. She can be reached at [email protected] or at twitter.com/AribaShahid

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