“Digital Invoicing is an Impractical Formula” – Ahmad Khan, Ikhlaq Abbasi
“Suggestions from Traders Should Be Included in the Budget” – Asad Aziz, Naeem Awan
“Extra Rs. 3 Without Credit Card Is Completely Unacceptable” – Shehzad Abbasi, Altaf Shah
Islamabad – The President of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran and Traders Action Committee Islamabad, Ajmal Baloch; Secretary and Convener of Traders Committee ICCI, Khalid Chaudhry; President of F-10 Markaz, Ahmad Khan; President of G-10 Markaz, Ikhlaq Abbasi; President of Super Market, Shehzad Abbasi; President of Jinnah Super Market, Asad Aziz; President of G-11 Markaz, Naeem Awan; President of G-9 Karachi Company, Raja Zulfiqar; President of Sitara Market, Syed Altaf Shah; President of Melody Market, Azhar Iqbal; General Secretary of Aabpara, Akhtar Abbasi; President of I-8 Markaz, Chaudhry Waheed Cheema; President of I-9, Safdar Abbasi; President of Anjuman-e-Tajiran Bhara Kahu, Raja Zahid Dhanial; President of PWD, Chaudhry Riyasat; and President of F-11, Mehr Allah Dad have stated that last year, the government included anti-trader tax schemes in the budget under the pretense of being trader-friendly, forcing traders to protest and observe a nationwide shutter-down strike.
This time, the government should avoid including any such scheme in the budget and refrain from any actions that could force traders to protest. Ajmal Baloch demanded that the Amendatory Tax Ordinance and Digital Invoicing laws be removed from the budget.
Khalid Chaudhry stated that taxing banking transactions is a failed Ishaq Dar formula that has already been tested. Ahmad Khan and Ikhlaq Abbasi said that digital invoicing is an impractical and unacceptable formula. Asad Aziz and Naeem Awan emphasized that the government must include tax proposals submitted by traders in the budget. Shehzad Abbasi and Altaf Shah strongly opposed the additional Rs. 3 charge for refueling without a credit card, stating that it places an extra burden on small traders and workers.
The trader representatives also criticized the FBR for its failure to expand the tax net. They stated that widening the tax net would reduce the burden on existing taxpayers. Furthermore, they demanded that the clause for non-filers be removed and a filer requirement be implemented to create ease. They also called for facilities in the real estate business and the revival of the construction industry, which supports nearly 60 other industries and helps reduce unemployment. They urged that trader representatives be taken into confidence and that coercive measures be avoided.
