Chairman, Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF), Sohail Lashari, senior Vice Chairman, Nadir Kamal Usman, Vice Chairman, Junaid Iqbal Sheikh and Chairman Lahore Towship Industries Association LTIA, Haroon Shafiq Chaudhry in a joint statement said that apart from collecting revenues and levying new taxes, government should also make efforts to provide an atmosphere conducive to promotion of their businesses.
Promulgation of presidential ordinance for levy of Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) and flood surcharge will prove anti-business step of the government. It also shows disassociation of the government from the business community. They said that the government should also remove irritants in promotion of business and industrial activities as only this can help generate more revenues and employment and make the business community feel that paying tax is not a burden. They said business community, FPCCI, PIAF and different business organisations time and again have advised the government not to squeeze those any more who are already contributing to the national exchequer. They had advised to broaden the tax net instead of just concentrating on increasing revenues pressurising the already taxed people.
PIAF leaders said that influential and those out of tax net should be taxed. They said people would happily pay their taxes if they see rulers and parliamentarians paying their taxes honestly. Increasing the burden of taxes on business community time and again is a sheer injustice. Lashri and other business leaders said their community has always come forward in time of need to help their country and countrymen. It helped the flood victims beyond their resources, constructed houses for the flood-hit people. They said increasing electricity tariff every second month, taking no steps to increase electricity generation, closure of gas to industries, high petroleum products rates can never help flourish their businesses.