KP govt urged to exempt two industrial estates from property tax

PESHAWAR: Industrialists have expressed grave concern over collection of property tax from two industrial estates in Peshawar, what they termed it as double taxation, which should be abolished immediately.

They urged the provincial government to review its decision regarding fixation of minimum wage for industrial workers and revise it as per available resources and capacity in the province.

The industrialists also expressed anguish over whopping increase ground rent in industrial estates by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZD&MC), saying that the area was not used for commercial purpose rather for production activities, so the increase should be revised at optimal level.

They raised these reservations and issues in a meeting chaired by President Industrialists Association Peshawar (IAP), Malik Imran Ishaq during the visit of Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Industries, Abdul Karim Khan to the Industrial Estate Hayatabad Peshawar here on Tuesday.

CEO KPEZD&MC, Javed Khattak, IAP Vice President Ghulam Mohiyaddin, SCCI Vice President Junaid Altaf, former President FPCCI Ghazanfar Bilour, IAP executive members Malik Niaz Ahmad, Sajjad Zaheer, Chairman IAP Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, Riaz Arshad, Chairman IAP Standing Committee on Finance, Haris Mufti, CFP KPEZDMC Shahid, Estate Manager, Hayatabad Industrial Estate Peshawar, Sajid Nawaz Khattak, Secretary General IAP Wasiullah Khan and Deputy Secretary Musatiq Ahsan were present during the meeting.

Despite the payment of demand note for bifurcation of electricity feeders to Pesco, the industrialists voiced concern over slow pace of work and some changes in clauses of provincial finance bill 2021-22, asking the provincial government to address their reservations in this regard immediately.

The incentives announced by provincial government in the previous industrial policy 2016, should be given to industries, they asked, demanding the issuance of No-objection Certificate (NOC) to Peshawar Development Authority through Pakistan Railways to allow construction of entrance roads to Hayatabad Industrial Estate adjacent opposite to Kharkhano Market Peshawar.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021