All Pakistan Tajir Convention: Balochistan's problems, energy crisis top demands

Traders at All Pakistan Tajir Convention 2011 have passed a number of resolutions of them solving the Balochistan's problems and energy crisis topped the demands. The convention warned the government of a countrywide agitation if any "trade-hostile" tax policy is imposed on small businesses.
The convention held in Lahore last week, according to the Chairman of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, Muhammad Atiq Mir. President of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Senator Ghulam Ali was chief guest.
He said traders unanimously rejected the present income tax system and demanded of the government to restore the previous one and omit the "disputed" column in the tax form about the details of traders' expenses.
He said traders were also unanimous in not filing tax returns because of the "disputed" form "D", adding that any move by the government to force businessmen to comply with tax policy would be resisted through a countrywide agitation.
He said the businessmen community was also concerned about the situation in Balochistan and urged the government to take up the matter seriously and find a better solution to end the conflict. Besides, there was also discontentment amongst the community members about the severe shortage of gas and electricity, which resulted in decline of production and export and had negative impact on the local trade also.
Atiq Mir said, "a large number of traders did not file tax returns this year," adding that the convention also gathered unanimity asking the government to bring the former tax system back to facilitate the traders.
He said the traders also agreed on asking the government to bring normality to industrial and trade centres by supplying gas and electricity, otherwise, a 'flood' of unemployment was imminent. "Karachi unrest has pushed the trade and business towards a long stagnation and if peace is not restored the situation of businesses will be more troubling," he added.