SCCI says business community being harassed under LG tax collection

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz has expressed concern over the alleged harassment of the business community, crackdown on business premises and imposition of heavy fines under the guise of collection of local government taxes.

He asked the authorities concerned to introduce the one-window operation system for tax collection and stop harassment of business community forthwith.

In a statement issued here on Monday, the SCCI president said that the teams of subordinate departments of local government have conducted raids along with the police on business premises without having proper notification and any schedule for collection in name of trade license, generator, tyre shops, carwash, tuck shops, professional taxes as well as Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar levy, social security, and labour department fees.

Maqsood Anwar said the crackdown on business premises and harassment of the business community was condemnable, which should be stopped immediately.

He said the business community is ready to pay all taxes but the government departments were trying to collect taxes by various tactics, which was unacceptable. The SCCI president demanded the district administration introduce one-window operation for collection of all aforementioned taxes to address the grievances and difficulties of the business community and increase the government revenue. He said the business community was against the tax-evasion and non-filers, but the genuine taxpayers should not be treated and harassed like tax-evaders.

The SCC chief demanded a halt to crackdown on the business premises, filling stations, and other offices. He said the business community was contributing to the national economy by paying different taxes regularly.