‘Empowering ITOs to mar commercial activities’

Islamabad : United Business Group (UBG) President Zubair Tufail has said that the current budget empowering the Income Tax Officer to arrest the taxpayer would not help in promoting healthy commercial and industrial activities in the country. And the trend of investment in the country will end, which is not in the interest of the country, says a press release.

He expressed these views while addressing a dinner hosted by former FPCCI Vice President Atif Ikram last night in honor of newly elected President of United Business Group Zubair Tufail and Secretary General Zafar Bakhtawari. He appreciated the services of the Presidents of the Islamabad Chamber and said that the Islamabad Chamber has always stood by the leadership of UBG.

UBG Secretary General Zafar Bakhtawari in his address said that the new leadership under the patronage of SM Munir and Iftikhar Ali Malik has become dynamic and active under the leadership of Zubair Tufail and added that he has been serving the traders for last forty years. After Islamabad and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he will visit Karachi and Sindh for a week.

Mian Akram Farid, Chairman, Islamabad Founder Group, while referring to the budget presented by the government, said that the government budget is in the interest of the business community but banks should also issue loans to the small sections.

Former FPCCI President Abdul Rauf Alam said that the business community of the federal capital is with UBG in the Federation elections and will be successful in the next elections.

Commenting on the budget, Ghazanfar Bilour, former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that customs officials should focus their effective strategy on the border instead of closing shops and providing relief to traders instead of disturbing them.

Expressing his views, FPCCI Vice President Arif Yousuf Jiwa said that we will work with Zubair Tufail and Zafar Bakhtawari to make UBG stronger and more organised. Expressing his views, newly elected FPCCI Vice President Nasir Qureshi said that UBG was working to solve the problems of traders and industrialists. In the days to come, this group will move the country towards prosperity by solving the problems of the business community.

Rawalpindi Chamber Group Leader Sohail Altaf said on the occasion that the new powers being given to the FBR and customs officials in the current budget would lead to economic and financial crisis in the country.