Non payment of trade license fee: shopkeepers, traders being issued arrest warrants

Shopkeepers and traders of 17 towns of the city continue to receive summons and arrest warrants from judicial magistrates for not paying the trade license fee for the last three years. According to a Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) report, the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK) had introduced trade license fee three year back.
Depending on the category of business the government had fixed the amount a minimum Rs 100 to Rs 2000 as maximum as license fee. The government justified the fee would be impose on those businesses which fell in the category of dangerous trade like cloth, paper, wool, chemicals, plastic, furniture, electronic items, rubber, toys, shows, leather, paints tents etc, as these items may lead to fire or fatal accidents. Prior to introducing the fee the CDGK issued advertisement in newspapers seeking suggestions from the trade bodies about the move, but the traders gave a very poor response while other trade associations totally rejected the fee.