PESHAWAR
\nBusiness community termed the government\u2019s decision to give relief in tax for shopkeepers who consume less than 150 units of electricity per month as \u2018insufficient\u2019, asked to take further measures and completely abolish the \u2018fixed tax\u2019 immediately.
\nThe traders warned if the government didn\u2019t take back its decision forthwith then they will launch an organised protest campaign across the province.
\nHasnain 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 \u201cAttaa mein Namak Ke Barabar\u201d.
\nTherefore, he said the collection of fixed tax through power bills is unacceptable, which should be completely abolished immediately.
\nKhurshid went on to say that traders have already paid \u2018sales tax\u2019, so it would be considered a double taxation, saying that the chamber rejects collection of this levy through power bills.
\nThe meeting was attended by the chamber\u2019s 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.
\nWithout differentiating between small and large-scale businesses, and godowns, the forced system of \u2018fixed\u2019 sale tax on commercial power meters was reflection of the government\u2019s anti-business policies, and tantamount to economic-murder of traders\u2019 community, Mr Khurshid said.
\nParticipants of the meeting termed the government\u2019s decision isn\u2019t only economic murder of the traders\u2019 community but it is also hardly affect the inflation hit poor masses.
\nThe traders have already paid \u2018sales tax\u2019 and again collection of \u2018fixed tax\u2019 from Rs3,000 to Rs 20,000 through power bills is completely unjustifiable and unfair, the speakers said.
\nThe SCCI\u2019s chief said the frequent increase in power tariffs and collection of Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) in power bills is strongly condemnable and unacceptable.
\nThe traders\u2019 leader asked the government to take back its decision to collect additional taxes on power bills in the name of FPA and others.
\nHasnain Khurshid asked the federal government to refrain from imposing anti-traders and business policies. He added said traders and poor people couldn\u2019t afford any new tax, subsequent increase in inflation.
\nThe chamber\u2019s president vowed to strongly resist the government\u2019s decision of a fixed \u2018sales tax\u2019 on power bills by launching a vigorous agitation campaign across the KP province.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR Business community termed the government\u2019s decision to give relief in tax for shopkeepers who consume less than 150 units of electricity per month as \u2018insufficient\u2019, asked to take further measures and completely abolish the \u2018fixed tax\u2019 immediately. The traders warned if the government didn\u2019t take back its decision forthwith then they will launch an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-275316","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n