Industrialists to boycott RTO Faisalabad for indefinite period

The industrialists of Faisalabad have announced to boycott the Regional Tax Office (RTO) Faisalabad for indefinite period as a mark of protest against what they alleged humiliating attitude of tax officers and illegally imposition of the ban on the entry of the office bearers of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry and All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA).
This was decided in an emergent General Body meeting of the APTPMA which was also attended by the representatives of the chamber and the association. Sheikh Khalid Habib Chairman APTPMA who chaired the meeting told that last month sales tax issues had taken a serious turn. However, after their protest, it was decided that all issues would be settled amicably through mutual negotiation between APTPMA and RTO Faisalabad. It was also decided that department will not invoke the clauses of 38-A and 40-B which were main cause of concern for the industrialists in the sense of disturb the business very badly.
Chairman APTPMA said that under this arrangement more than 20 cases were settled amicably and revenue to the tune of millions of rupee was deposited in the government kitty. Sheikh Khalid Habib further told that yesterday, as usual, he went to the RTO to settle the cases of two members and to deposit the revenue. Surprisingly, the Sales Tax Officers adopted very disgracing attitude and told that they would not be welcomed at RTO and it is better for them not to enter into the premises of this government office. It was also told that their entry into this office has been banned and now department will unilaterally decide the cases of sales tax disputes.
Sh Khalid Hahib said that immediately general body meeting of the APTPMA was convened to discus and take appropriate decision in this situation. He told that general body had unanimously condemned the shameful attitude of the tax officers. It was also decided to boycott the RTO till the transfer of the concerned officials, he said, adding it had also been decided that no tax officer would be allowed to enter into any factory and if they tried to forcibly enter, all factories would be closed immediately and protest would be started by blocking main city roads.
He claimed that industrialists were law abiding citizens and were already discharging their tax liabilities but they had been pushed to the wall to take such harsh decisions and its entire onus would be on the shoulders of the concerned tax officers who were passing derogatory orders banning entry of the office bearers of the Chamber and association and are adopting humiliating attitude towards the taxpayers.