Additional Rs 10 per kg cess on tobacco rejected

Tobacco growers and dealers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have rejected the additional Rs 10 per kg cess on tobacco and demanded of the federal government to immediate withdraw it, otherwise they would launch a countrywide protest against it.
The federal government is colleting approximately Rs 75 billion direct and indirect taxes on tobacco every year, but the farmers would unable to afford further burden of taxes, said Farmuddin Bakhshali, a representation tobacco dealers association while talking to Business Recorder here on Monday.
He said the step was tantamount to economic genocide of farmers, adding that the additional taxes would affect the tobacco production in the province. He said that the federal and provincial governments were already colleting Rs 2.60 per/Kg and Rs 1.70 per/Kg tax on tobacco respectively, despite that the federal government had imposed additional Rs 10 per/Kg cess on tobacco, which was totally unjust and illegal. However, he said that the government had not imposed any tax on sugarcane, wheat, vegetable, and different kind of fruits, but it was colleting huge taxes from tobacco dealers and growers.
He said that farmers had already suffered a lot due to floods and militancy in the province, whereas the government's such steps would create further problems for them. "We had postponed agitation campaign after assurance of ANP central and provincial leadership, but the federal government was yet to be withdrawn additional cess on tobacco, he said.
Kissan Board's provincial president Rizwanullah also expressed grave concern over the additional cess on tobacco, demanding of immediate of the federal government to withdraw it without any further delay. Alam Sher Gohatti, president Anjuman-e-Kashtkaraan said that the tobacco was contributing a hefty of billions as revenue in the national exchequer despite the fact that the government failed to provide any relief to the growers.
Mohammad Azam Khan, President of Farmers Co-ordination Council (FCC and Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Agriculture (PCA) Mohammad Dagi Wala have also expressed voice concern over the new taxes on tobacco and demanded of the federal government to immediate withdraw without any further delay.