Fishermen unwilling to pay income tax

Local fishermen on Monday showed unwillingness to pay income tax, saying the seafarers' economy is already strained by the soaring cost of operations. They also criticised the authorities for being "too harsh" to bar unregistered boats for fishing, saying the government should first consult with fishermen before imposing its "arbitrary" decisions.
"There are four categories of vessels which navigate from Karachi fish harbour including big, medium size, lining and small boats, nearly 90 percent of these are registered with a number of concerned departments," said President Native Islander Fishermen Association (NIFA), Asif Bhatti.
He said the government should relax its rules for time being till all unregistered boats are enlisted with all the departments. "We [fishermen] do not understand where the government is taking us to," he said. Fisheries is part of the livestock and agriculture sector of the country, he said, adding that "then how the government is imposing income tax on the fishermen while landlords are exempted".
He urged the government to implement the Supreme Court's decision in a better way without disturbing the fishermen and dislodging them of livelihood sources. "Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) has banned all the unregistered boats without prior notices, which amounts to depriving the fishermen of their earnings".
He was of the view that the KFHA has tightened its rules just to bring only 10 percent of unregistered boats without providing them with much needed facilities at the harbour or on deep sea. "Why should a fisherman pay income tax when his earnings are already too low to maintain his family while the cost of fishing has soared manifold since the government has increased fuel prices," he maintained.
Bhatti said the government should provide the fishermen with all basic facilities in their residential areas, during deep sea fishing and at the harbour before asking them for paying income tax. "With too little earning to feed even their families and provide healthcare and education to their children how can a poor fisherman pay income tax," he said.
When contacted the officials of KFHA, they said the authority has extended the boat registration deadline to December 31, after a number of fishermen associations showed inability to help the boats to register in such a short span. On income tax issue, they said that the taxation is not the KFHA jurisdiction to exercise, adding that the fishermen may lodge complaint with the concerned federal ministry. They said the KFHA is implementing the Supreme Court's orders to toughen rules to improve the law and order situation at the harbour.