Businessmen warn of protest against additional taxes

The businessmen have categorically rejected the collection of tax on transport and other services by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority.

They said that it was ‘unfair and was unacceptable to them. They warned to launch agitation if the additional taxes were not abolished. The matter was discussed during a meeting with Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Sherbaz Bilour in the chair at the Chamber House here, said a press release. Engineer Manzoor Elahi, SCCI Senior Vice President, former FPCCI president Ghazanfar Bilour, SCCI former presidents Riaz Arshad, Malik Niaz Ahmad, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, representatives of Industrialists Association Peshawar and member of executive committee of the chamber, Zarak Khan, Ghulam Dastgir and others attended the meeting.

The participants in the meeting said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority was supposed to collect provincial tax while the manufacturing sector fell under the domain of the federal government. Therefore, they said the collection of tax on transport from 5 to 15 percent and other services by the authority was unconstitutional. They added the move was also against the spirit of the 18th constitutional amendment. The meeting participants said that the collection of transport tax was tantamount to closing industries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which would trigger unemployment in the province and enhance cost of production.