Growers blast govt for revising advance tax on tobacco

PESHAWAR: A representative body of tobacco growers on Thursday criticised the federal government for revising advance tax on tobacco crops and said that it would only benefit those exploiting the growers and farmers.

Speaking at a news conference here, Kashtkaran and Mehnatkash Labour Federation, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, president Ali Ahmad said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team had taken a bold step to impose Rs300 per kg advance tax on the tobacco crops as that would have not only benefited the poor farmers but also contributed huge amount to the exchequer. Ali Ahmad said that some of the influential people who had key posts in the PTI government had put pressure on the government to change its decision on advance tax on tobacco in order to save their industries and business at the local level.Dr Gulzar, Abdul Qayyum and other growers and farmers from different parts of the province were also present on the occasion. “The tobacco growers would not be affected by the advance tax as it would be paid by cigarettes manufacturing factories,” he said and added that the multinational companies were paying a huge tax to the government but those who were involved in the manufacturing of substandard tobacco products were reluctant to pay taxes. The tobacco growers said that some of the local dealers and manufacturers were buying tobacco at the lowest prices from the growers and then purchase it at high rates.