PESHAWAR
Business community termed the government’s decision to give relief in tax for shopkeepers who consume less than 150 units of electricity per month as ‘insufficient’, asked to take further measures and completely abolish the ‘fixed tax’ immediately.
The traders warned if the government didn’t take back its decision forthwith then they will launch an organised protest campaign across the province.
Hasnain Khurshid Ahmad, president Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) while chairing a joint meeting of meeting of traders and industrialists here on Tuesday said relief in tax for shopkeepers who consume less than 150 units of electricity per month is like a drop in the ocean “Attaa mein Namak Ke Barabar”.
Therefore, he said the collection of fixed tax through power bills is unacceptable, which should be completely abolished immediately.
Khurshid went on to say that traders have already paid ‘sales tax’, so it would be considered a double taxation, saying that the chamber rejects collection of this levy through power bills.
The meeting was attended by the chamber’s senior vice president Imran Khan Mohmand, vice president Javed Akhtar, FPCCI former president Ghazanfar Bilour, Industrialist Associaiton Peshawar (IAP) president Malik Imran Ishaq, Anjuman e Tajaran Peshawar chairman Shaukat Ali Khan, Anjuman Tajaraan Peshawar president Haji Muhammad Afzal, trader leader Inayat Khan and others.
Without differentiating between small and large-scale businesses, and godowns, the forced system of ‘fixed’ sale tax on commercial power meters was reflection of the government’s anti-business policies, and tantamount to economic-murder of traders’ community, Mr Khurshid said.
Participants of the meeting termed the government’s decision isn’t only economic murder of the traders’ community but it is also hardly affect the inflation hit poor masses.
The traders have already paid ‘sales tax’ and again collection of ‘fixed tax’ from Rs3,000 to Rs 20,000 through power bills is completely unjustifiable and unfair, the speakers said.
The SCCI’s chief said the frequent increase in power tariffs and collection of Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) in power bills is strongly condemnable and unacceptable.
The traders’ leader asked the government to take back its decision to collect additional taxes on power bills in the name of FPA and others.
Hasnain Khurshid asked the federal government to refrain from imposing anti-traders and business policies. He added said traders and poor people couldn’t afford any new tax, subsequent increase in inflation.
The chamber’s president vowed to strongly resist the government’s decision of a fixed ‘sales tax’ on power bills by launching a vigorous agitation campaign across the KP province.
