Brick Kiln Owners Association (BKOA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has threatened to go on strike from Ist Ramadan if government fails to withdraw levy of 16 percent General Sale Tax (GST). The government has again imposed tax on the brick kiln industry after 15 years, which was not acceptable to us, said Secretary General, BKOA, Haji Aeen Khan, while speaking at a news conference at Peshawar press club, here on Friday.
Flanked by office bearers and owners, he said that the brick kiln industry was not in position to put burden on buyers to pay huge taxes to the government. "We are not in position to payout the 16 percent sale tax, he maintained. More than 573 brick kilns are functional in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, out of 12,000 in the country, he informed. He added that a kiln provides job to hundreds of labours. A large number of poor labours would lose their jobs due to indifferent attitude of the government and called for immediate withdrawal of 16 percent levy of General Sale Tax (GST) forthwith.
He said that brick Kilns owners had observed a token strike for more than three days against the unjustified and unfair decision of the government, but the government was least bothered to pay attention to their grievances. The protest campaign had intensified to second phase through which brick kilns had suspended supply for a week from July 2 to 8 in the province. He warned that if the government did not support them and withdraw imposition of GST then they would close down kilns permanently from 1st Ramdan-un-Mubarak to show solidarity with other chapter of associations in the country.
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