CCCI urges Balochistan govt to revisit its infrastructure cess step

ISLAMABAD: Chaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has requested the Balochistan government to review its newly enacted law as infrastructure cess have negative affect on the businesses. The new law empowers to the provincial government to levy a cess on goods, transported through carriage by roads using infrastructure, provided as service by the Government, entering into and leaving the province.

In a statement, CCCI has said that if the goods are removed, transported or shipped without payment of cess, after one month the owner shall, without prejudice to any other action that may be taken against him, be liable to a penalty not more than the amount of cess evaded.

Chaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is of the view that the new law is unworkable and harmful for the businesses in the province.

The law will minimse industrialization in the province. In addition, use of Balochistan’s roads to transport goods will also have negative affect.

The CCCI has further argued that this law will make trade with Afghanistan more lucrative and easy in KPK as compared to Balochistan due to which will service sector of the province, transport and clearing agents will be affected. Those investors, who are planning to set up industrial units will prefer to prefer other destinations. Also existing industrial units will be shut down due to heavy financial impact of infrastructure cess and jobs.

CCCI has requested that implication on this law, which is hurting the businesses, will stopped forthwith. The Chamber has also requested the government to review that this law.

The CCCI has approached Commerce Ministry requesting it to ask provincial government for review of the law and make it business friendly. A similar law had also been passed by the KPK Assembly which is under litigation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024