Petrol pumps dealers here on Thursday threatened to go on strike if district governments did not stop harassing and imposing 'illegal' fine on them. Speaking to a news conference at Peshawar Press Club here on Thursday, provincial Chairman of Sarhad Petroleum Cartage and Dealers Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mansoor Durrani Sharif said that the districts government at various cities, especially in Peshawar, Mardan, Charssadda and Karak, have started action against them and imposing Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 as fine.
Accompanied by the Association president Islamabad chapter, Chaudhry Zafar, Babu Razzaq from Abbottabad, Haji Janan president Karak chapter, and Akhtar Nawaz from district Mardan, Sharif said, "They are paying all legitimate taxes and generated huge employment opportunity by making huge investments in the sector". He regretted that district governments continuously harassing and collecting what thet termed illegal taxes, despite paying all legal taxes, and huge contribution in the national exchequer.
"We had established an outlet at a cost of Rs 50 million to Rs 60 million and providing 24 hours services, despite that government attitude against them, totally illogical, says Akhtar Nawaz. He added the government had fixed dealer margin at five percent during Musharraf-led government in 2003, which was yet not increased. He said the dictatorship was better than as compared to a democratic government, which was continuously compelling us, to wind up their businesses.
Mansoor Sharif said that it was a dire need of hour to increase dealers' margin due to increasing expenditure and inflation in the country. If the government was reluctant to increase, then we have left no other option, but to close down our businesses, under the present circumstances, he opined.
Nawaz further said officials of district governments harassing them on various tactics. He informed that prices of petroleum products had been declined at Rs 84.95 per litre, and we have also instantly implemented new price, to give direct benefit of the government decision. "Don't compel us to take any harsh step, he warned, asked the authorities to stop harassing and collecting of illegal taxes from dealers.
Sharif demanded the government to immediate ban selling of petroleum in open market and take action against those people who were involved in this illegal practice. He also complained about the increasing ratio of taxes, and asked the taxes should not be collected on gun-point from dealers. He demanded the government to increase dealers' margin from five to 10 percent immediately.
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