Levy of 0.9 percent duty: dry ports of Punjab observe strike

An indefinite strike has started at the dry ports of Punjab against the levy of 0.9 pc duty on import consignments by the Punjab Revenue Authority. They described it unjust and demanded uniformed taxation in all provinces. Talking to media men here, MDPT chairman Muhammad Ahmed Chughtai said that the decision to observe strike was taken at a meeting held at Faisalabad under chairmanship Mukhtar Ahmad Sheikh which was attended by the chairmen and officials of the Multan Dry Port, Sialkot Dry Port, Faisalabad Dry Port and All Pakistan Customs Clearing Agents Association.
He said that the meeting unanimously decided that the dry ports of Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan and Sialkot would observe complete strike in case the government did not withdraw duty on import consignments, the strike would continue for indefinite period. He expressed his concern over levy of 0.9pc duty on import consignments by the Punjab government and said that it would have negative impacts of this unilateral decision of the Punjab government, which would tantamount to annihilate the import business at dry ports, he informed. Ahmed Chughtai said that industrial sector was already in deep crisis and this new levy would further aggravate the situation. He demanded the government withdraw from the decision immediately to save this sector.