Cable operators’ body rejects new tax

KARACHI: Chairman of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan Khalid Arain has demanded of the government to waive off new taxes imposed by the Sindh Revenue Board on cable operators and their clients.
He requested to the Pemra chairman to help cable operators in getting tax-free status for the cable industry. Arain also threatened to shut down cable network and hold protests if the demands were not met.
He expressed these views while addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday. He said the Sindh government did not seem serious in resolving the issues of the cable operators. “We had a meeting with the Sindh chief minister regarding taxes before the budget was announced. But still the taxes have been imposed. Cable operators are already paying several other taxes, including Pemra licence fee, consumer fee etc. Even the Pemra receives five percent of the total income of the cable operators,” he said.
He termed new taxes imposed by the SRB a burden on cable operators which would be ultimately shifted to the consumers. He said that in this financial situation consumers were unable to pay even Rs200 for cable charges. He said Pemra has asked the cable operators to switch their system to digital which needs a lot of investment. The government should help them in switching to the new technology and the cable industry should be made tax-free for at least 10 years.
Khalid Arain appealed to the former president Asif Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Governor Ishratul Ebad, Minister for Information and Sindh Revenue Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to waive off taxes on cable operators and no new tax should be imposed on the industry in future.