Business community rejects RGST

The trade and industry of Lahore has unanimously and categorically rejected the government's intention to impose Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) in its existing format and formed a committee to identify lacunae in it. In a meeting chaired by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Acting President Sheikh Mohammad Arshad, the business community resolved to initiate talks with the government after identifying flaws in the RGST.
The LCCI former Presidents Sheikh Mohammad Asif, Mian Anjum Nisar, Mohammad Ali Mian, Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Acting President Anjuman-e-Tajiran Pakistan Khalid Pervaiz, Secretary General Abdul Razzaq Babbar, President Anjuman-e-Tajiran Badami Bagh Waqar Ahmad Mian, Chairman Anjuman-e-Tajiran Ferozepur Road Mehboob Sirki, President All Pakistan Leather Importers Association Tariq Masood Chaudhry, representatives of Anjuman-e-Tajiran Hall Road, Chairman All Pakistan Sewing Machine Association Ghulam Sarwar Hajveri and Paper Merchants Association were present in the meeting.
The committee, headed by LCCI former President Sheikh Mohammad Asif, has in its fold representatives of both the trade and industry. The committee has been tasked to finalise its recommendations at the earliest so that the same could be forwarded to the government. The participants said the real stakeholders were not taken into confidence, while government is taking the new taxation measures without any proper consultation with trade and industry's representatives, which could have a disastrous impact on the already ailing economy.
"The RGST will encourage tax evaders instead of bringing more tax-payers into the tax net due to its haphazard way of implementation", they said adding that no government measures could be successful without having proper exercise or taking the stakeholders into confidence. They said that the people who are already overburdened with the skyrocketing prices and struggling for survival would not accept RGST.
The businessmen urged the National Assembly to refrain from approving any anti-people and anti-nation decision that creates hatred against the government. They also termed the imposition of any new tax, as an act against the national interests. They said that the government is trying to impose new taxes on the people when they are already struggling for survival amidst ever-increasing unemployment. They said that industry and exports are suffering badly due to government's cruel acts.
The participants also urged the government to broaden the tax base by including the services and agriculture sector in it. "Instead of widening the tax net and bringing the untaxed sectors into tax net, the government had taken the other way of squeezing those who were already in the tax net and paying all government dues regularly. How the trade and industry would be able to cope with the situation when they are already facing troubles in paying even their banking dues because of high cost of inputs and unavailability of gas, they said.