Salt makers seek tax exemption

KARACHI: Salt makers on Saturday urged the government not to levy taxes on iodised salt saying it would result in increase in price of the essential food ingredient.

The government has proposed 17 percent GST on ‘branded’ iodised salt and plenty other items in its ‘Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021’, which the opposition has cleped as ‘mini-budget’.

“If the government withdraws the exemption from iodized salt, it will create a huge impact on the cost of living of a common man as salt is the most essential ingredient in every single food item that a human consumes,” said Ismail Suttar, chairman at Salt Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (SMAP).

The industry is already hit by the pandemic, freight costs, and supply chain disruptions and the proposed taxes on iodised tax and other goods would further put pressure on the public, he added.

The chairman criticized the current government for imposing sales tax on iodized salt saying, “previous governments had always promoted the use of iodine in salt keeping in view the health of our children who are already suffering from stunted growth and obesity.”