Traders’ convention demands withdrawal of anti-trader policies

PESHAWAR: The Atta Dealers Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa organised a trader convention on Friday to discuss government policies regarding taxation.

The convention, chaired by the association’s president Waheed Khan, was attended by representatives from various districts. All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran President Ajmal Baloch and Tanzeem-e-Tajiran Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Malik Mehr Elahi were the chief guests.

Speakers at the convention termed the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) trader-friendly scheme as anti-trader and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the SRO. They expressed willingness to pay taxes but accused the government of attempting to collect “extortion” from traders, vowing never to comply.

The traders rejected the distinction between filers and non-filers, urging the government to abandon this policy in the public interest. They emphasised that traders already paid both direct and indirect taxes.

Additionally, they called for the lifting of the ban on the interprovincial movement of flour and rejected the 236G-236 act. They said they would never accept double taxation.They demanded the abolition of withholding tax, arguing that traders should not act as agents for the FBR and urged the government to implement a taxation system proposed by the traders.

Trader leaders criticised the budget as an “inflation bomb” for the masses and called on the government to focus on improving the lives of citizens rather than appeasing enemies. They linked rising unemployment and crime rates to inflation and threatened to extend their protests if their demands were not met.Ajmal Baloch warned of country-wide protests if the FBR’s SRO was not withdrawn and said the government would be responsible for any ensuing unrest.