LCCI warns of massive layoffs

LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Wednesday warned the government of massive layoffs and business closures if harassment is not stopped by the Federal Board of Revenue under the name of sales tax audit, a statement said.
Talking to a 150-member delegation of traders, LCCI Senior Vice President Mian Nauman Kabir and Vice President Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi said undue notices and raids for the sales tax audit have created an atmosphere of harassment among the business community.
LCCI former presidents Sheikh Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Ali Mian, former senior vice president Sheikh Muhammad Arshad, Baber Mahmood from Anjuman-e-Tajiran Hall Road, Khalid Pervez from Anjuman-e-Tajiran Urdu Bazar, Ashraf Bhatti from Anjuman-e-Tajiran Anarkali and Tariq Feroze also spoke on the occasion.
Mian Nauman Kabir and Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi said it was unfortunate that despite clear directives of the government, the bureaucracy is creating an atmosphere of harassment for the businessmen who are the backbone of the economy.