Flour millers warn of strike against GST on 17th

LAHORE: The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) while strongly criticising the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman has threatened to observe strike on July 17 if GST is not withdrawn from flour and other byproducts of wheat.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Naeem Butt, central chairman of PFMA, Asim Raza, group leader and other office-bearers of the association claimed that the government amended Finance Act 2019-20 and levied GST on flour and other byproducts.

They added that tax experts and officials of FBR confirmed this fact. However, they expressed astonishment and anger over denial by FBR chairman in this regard. The FBR chairman is issuing wrong statement and trying to deceive the masses and the common man over the issue, the PSMA office-bearers said.

“Unless the government officially issues clear notification about withdrawal of GST on wheat flour and its byproducts, we would go ahead with our plan of observing strike,” they asserted. They said that food items were exempted from taxes around the world bu the present government removed wheat flour and byproducts from schedule six and added them in schedule eight, making them liable for GST. The Pakistan Flour Mills Association leaders demanded of the government to amend the Finance Act to rectify such changes immediately.