ISLAMABAD: The unionized traders, on Tuesday, staged a protest sit-in, seeking a presidential ordinance to eradicate corruption in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and end installation of point-of-sale (PoS) machine system for the traders.
The demand to withdraw PoS machine system, according to some traders who wished not to be named, is nothing but a well thought-out strategy by some trader unions to evade taxes.
They said that the officials of the FBR have made their lives miserable, as they constantly question the traders about the transactions made through the PoS machines. "We know it can benefit the government but at a time when there is skyrocketing inflation in the country we [traders] cannot afford to pay much taxes," said a trader who declined to be named.
He said that he had PoS machine, but he returned it to the bank after the FBR official kept grilling him for the transaction made through it, adding small traders could not afford to use the PoS machine.
The sit-in is being staged on the call of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran. A large number of traders from different parts of the country assembled and staged a protest sit-in at Faizabad to press the government for the approval of their 9-point demands.
According to the protesters, the major points include PoS system, penalties, income tax rates, sales tax registration, professional tax, property tax, and high inflation, which has increased the cost of doing business.
The local business community in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad split into two groups as one is in favour of the protest and the other kept their shops open and ignored the protest call given by the trade unions.
Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, the president of Anjuman-e-Tajiran Punjab, Muhammad Nadeem, central president of Employees Association of Pakistan, representing employees of wedding halls, marquees, hotels, and restaurants across the country, cantonment traders' association president Hafeez Sheikh, General Secretary Zafar Qadri, and others, are leading the protest.
More than 250 traders' organisations from Rawalpindi city and cantonment participated in the sit-in from Rawalpindi. The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) urged the government to take the trade union leaders onboard to resolve their issues.
It said that the country's economy is passing through difficult times due to free fall of Pak rupee, rising inflation, and uncertainty due to inconclusive talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Nadeem Rauf of the RCCI said that the Chamber has always played the role of a bridge between the business community and the government for resolving their issues.
He suggested that the FBR should focus on broadening the tax net and recommended that instead of setting targets for tax collection, it should set targets to increase new taxpayers.
It has been observed that instead of adding new filers, the FBR increased burden on the existing taxpayers, he said, adding a uniform policy should be adopted in consultation with all the stakeholders. The citizens had to bear huge traffic jams on several roads in twin cities due to the sit-in. Though, Rawalpindi and Islamabad traffic police put their efforts to ease the traffic flow, the commuters and pedestrians had a bad day.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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