Laiq Marjan, President All Tribal Contractors Association (ATCA), FATA has called for withdrawal of illegal six percent tax collection from contractors and demanded for release of their pending amount with Federal Government forthwith, and warned if their demands weren't accepted, they will boycott from all ongoing schemes in tribal areas.
Speaking at the news conference, here at Peshawar Press Club (PPC) on Friday, he said that the government has been keeping different attitude towards FATA contractors for over past several years. He criticised that the Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has also given least attention towards resolution of their problems because of which they are enormous financial and other hardships.
Laiq Marjan flanked by senior vice-president Ghausuddin Khan Mahsood, joint secretary, Zulfiqar Khan, Alam Batani, expressed fear that due to non-release of dues to contractors, many of ongoing development schemes could be extended to next phase in FATA.
He said the contractors had fulfilled their obligations despite the financial constraints, saying that most of contractors have sold their property and essential machines to complete projects within stipulated time. Whereas, the natural calamities and devastated floods last year had multiplied their miseries, he maintained.
Laiq Marjan said that government didn't provide any kind of relief to contractors in prevailing situation, while it has put burden of losses on them due to floods, etc. He said that the government has allocated whatever amount for ongoing schemes in tribal areas was not sufficient and demanded for provision of adequate and required funds to tribal areas.
Despite the meagre resources and inflicting of huge losses, he said the contractors had completed most of ongoing schemes on their own resources in FATA. Referring to the President Asif Ali Zardari's announcement during his visit to Peshawar last year that the government didn't slash FATA budget, but it released only Rs 8, 870 million from the total 15 billion of the budget. He informed that FATA secretariat had dispatched a letter on June 13 to SAFRAN division for release of fourth quarter, but it was yet to be implemented.
Owing to absence of required funds, he said that the FATA contractors Rs 867 million was still pending with government, and expressed fear that many ongoing schemes could be extended in the prevailing situation. He demanded of the federal government to intervene for immediate withdrawal of illegal six percent tax on contractors and also released pending amount forthwith.
The contractors warned that if government fails to accept their demands, they will boycott from ongoing schemes and launch a protest campaign against it. He also demanded for carrying out old nomination and tender process through political administration and made it cleared that they will not tolerate any political interference in the process.
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