PESHAWAR: Local traders have warned the government of launching a protest movement against ‘unwarranted actions’ and anti-business policies of the public sector institutions, particularly multiple tax collection authorities, police, customs departments and cantonment board Peshawar.
The announcement was made during a meeting of the traders of Peshawar Saddar and Cantt areas, held under chairmanship of president Sarhad chamber of Commerce and Industry Hasnain Khurshid Ahmad here on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by SCCI’s senior vice president Imran Khan Mohmand, vice president Javed Akhtar, former president Sherbaz Bilour, executive member Zahoor Khan, and Sohail Javed, Mujeebur Rehman, Shams Rahim, Saddar Gul, Rashid Iqbal Sidique, Nisar Ahmad, Arshad Mehmood, Nauman Rauf, Salman Wadood, Tahir Khan, Amir Afzal and others
The traders severely criticised the police, custom departments, tax-collection authorities and Cantonment Board Peshawar for their allegedly illegal and unwarranted actions, harassment on pretext of collecting various taxes, unnecessary lodging of cases and arrests and other anti-business policies.
Members of the business community complained about heavy collection of taxes like professional tax, income tax, different levies/ duties on imported items and demanded to rationalize and reduce ratio of taxes. They termed the unnecessary actions as reflection of anti-business policies of the present government, which should be altered immediately.
Trade and commercial activities have been reduced by 80 percent after different waves of novel coronavirus pandemic and terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while government policies are compelling to push businesses toward complete closure, the traders said.
The business community expressed grave concern over the new policy of the present government, regarding reduction in business and working hours. They said it is the prime duty of the government to ensure protection of life and property of the common man.
They demanded lifting ban on import of mobile accessories. They sought a holistic roadmap to resolve the traders’ problems on a permanent basis.
Hasnain Khurshid expressed grave concern over unfriendly attitude of state-run institutions. He assured the participants of the meeting that the chamber will take up their issues with relevant authorities in an efficient manner.
He mentioned that SCCI in collaboration with Smeda has launched an Investment Facilitation Centre/ Web portal, directly linked with federal and provincial ombudsmen that would directly contact 700 government institutions.
He urged the traders to register complaints about relevant public departments on SCCI’s web-portal so their complaints could be resolved immediately.
Regarding problems in issuance of business visas to China, Hasnain Khurshid informed that a meeting will be arranged soon with the Chinese Ambassador and senior officials, so the issue could be resolved by taking up with them.
The SCCI chief stressed that all government institutions/ departments are needed to work under its domain so it would avoid a gulf between the business community and government. Office-bearers of the chamber, bazaar associations also spoke.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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