Siraj for withdrawal of new taxes on edibles

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has condemned the levy of additional taxes on edibles and big increase in existing taxes on poultry, milk etc. saying it would make chicken out of the masses’ reach.
In a statement on Thursday, he said the burden of these taxes would fall on the general public and the prices of mutton and beef would also rise. He called for withdrawal of the new taxes and reducing the existing taxes on poultry in the public interest.
The JI chief said mutton and beef prices were already high due to which the common man could not even think of having these, while poultry had been comparatively cheaper and masses could afford it but the new taxes would increase its prices greatly.
Sirajul Haq said in the field of agriculture, poultry was the most organised sector and was meeting 40 percent of meat requirement in the country. Jobs of more than 1.8 million people were linked with this sector. He said instead of creating new job opportunities for people, the government was curtailing the existing jobs due to its wrong and anti-people policies. He said in the neighbouring countries, poultry feed was exempted from sales tax due to which chicken was cheaper there as compared to Pakistan.