Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) has finalized its demands which will be presented to the parliamentarian's Committee. This committee was constituted on the directive of Governor Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar to resolve the problems of the businessmen and industrialists.
Addressing a meeting of the JAC Rana Sikandar Azam told that all stakeholders have discussed and expressed satisfaction over the day to day situation after the announcement of the strike call. He told that all business community has unanimously stand on restoration of zero rating facility, provision of electricity at 7.5 cent per unit inclusive of all taxes, withdrawal of electricity arrears for the last one year, withdrawal of mandatory condition of provision of CNIC and there should be no limit for turnover tax.
Rana Sikandar Azam also briefed the members about the proceedings of NA Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs. He told that power division had issued notifications for the recovery of electricity arrears from the zero rated sectors without the prior permission of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), hence, the NA Standing Committee has directed to stop recovery of arrears. He further told that most of the members of the Standing Committee have endorsed our views that government must provide electricity at 7.5 cent as agreed and announced by the then Finance Minister Asad Umar.
About the mandatory provision of CNIC, he told that it is not applicable to the small shopkeepers. "Only wholesalers who will directly purchase commodities in bulk for manufactures will have to provide their CNIC and their numbers are only 40,000 in Pakistan", he added.
Rana Sikandar Azam further told that a meeting with local Parliamentarians will be held on Saturday and we have finalized our agenda for this meeting. He told that four to five Parliamentarians are included in this committee and hence, we must select same number of participants from our side who could plead their sector specific problems. He told that if JAC came on the conclusion that parliamentarians are mishandling our issue or reluctant to resolve our problems, we shall immediately abandon negotiation and restart our protestation. He told that in first step protest meeting will be arranged which would be followed by wheel jam strike.
Rana Sikandar Azam told that all trade bodies have endorsed our demands however; minor differences have been reported from Sikka group. He announced to constitute a committee headed by Chaudhry Muhammad Nawaz which will convince them to join our hands to give a strong message to government that entire business community is united on our common and joint agenda. This committee will be comprised of Mirza Shafiq of Sikka Group, Arif Ehsan Malik, Malik Iqbal, Waheed Khaliq Rahmey, Muhammad Moazzam, and Javaid Sharif.
He further told that the strategy will be evolved to discuss issues with parliamentarians in systematic and planned manners. He requested members of Joint Action Committee to remain in touch with their concerned Association and members and motivate them to be ready for any emerging situation. He warned that if strike was announced it will be a total strike and even food and vegetable market will remain close.
The meeting was also attended by Chairman JAC Mian Naeem Ahmed, Arif Ehsan Malik, Waheed Khaliq Rahmey, Javaid Sharif, Ashfaq Ashraf, Kashif Zia, Babar Shahzad, Farooq Yusuf, Aslam Bhalli, Chaudhry Muhammad Nawaz, Mian Muhammad Latif and Chaudhry Mushtaq Ali Cheema.
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