Hoteliers threaten strike if gas tax not withdrawn

MANSEHRA: The hoteliers have threatened to go on strike if the government doesn’t scrap the regasified, liquefied natural gas (RLNG) tax incorporated in current month’s utility bills of natural gas.

“We would go on a shutter-down strike for an indefinite period if the RLNG tax imposed from December and is added in current utility bill is not withdrawn by the federal government,” Shoaib Khan, the president of traders body, told a meeting of hoteliers here on Sunday.

He said the RLNG tax imposed by the government in December 2017 on commercial gas consumers, almost doubled the monthly bills.

“If this tax continues to exist, the commercial consumers couldn’t ensure running of their businesses,” he said.

He added that if the government didn’t withdraw the tax within a week, they would go on a shutter-down strike.