LAHORE : Central General Secretary All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran (APAT) Naeem Mir has lamented that the government has not accepted a single demand of the traders, forcing them to go for another shutter down strike.
Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club on Sunday, Naeem Mir said that the government is not serious in resolving the issues of traders because it has not even accepted demands of those traders who had not observed the shutter down strike, which is very unfortunate.
He said that government had committed to announce fixed tax scheme for the traders but it could not be declared despite the two weeks period has passed. He criticized the government for engaging the fake trade bodies in talks, who are not the real stakeholders.
The CSG APAT said that government was also trying to confuse the traders on ID card issue. The APAT was going to hold its important meeting in Islamabadon Monday to decide its future strategy on shutter down strike in case the government does not accept traders demand, he added.
Naeem Mir, on this occasion, also asked the Punjab Minister for Industry Mian Aslam Iqbal to play its role of mediator between the federal government and the traders. He said the minister, at least, should get those issues resolved, which he mentioned in a list after a meeting with the traders.
He also demanded the explanation of various clauses of the budget and tax anomalies through a letter sent to the FBR chairman and finance minister.
The CSG APAT said that the budget along with new tax laws are being implemented from Aug 1, 2019 with all relaxation being withdrawn, the traders want clarification of few clauses of the tax laws so that the atmosphere of panic and fear among the traders fraternity could be removed.
He demanded the explanation of the clause: CNIC is now required to be mentioned in sale invoice of the trader. In case it is subsequently proved that CNIC provided by the purchaser was not correct, liability of tax or penalty shall not arise against the seller.
The issues of sales tax schedule three: the items under schedule three where retailer will not submit his/her CNIC and in case of active taxpayer he/she will pay tax of 1.5 percent turnover tax on his turnover. In this case how the FBR will charge turnover tax of 7.5 percent from the retailer or active taxpayer.
Naeem Mir said that if the FBR was going to charge 1.5 percent turnover tax then why it demands profit and loss based accounts documents on annual bases to be submitted to the tax department which are usually fake and bogus.
He also asked the Chairman FBR and Finance Secretary to remove the confusion of such clauses and parts of the new tax laws.(INP)
