Eight trade bodies of the city have rejected the repeated moves made by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to unilaterally impose condition of obtaining buyers' CNIC and sought the help of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) to pursue the government to withdraw it.
An emergency meeting was held at Pakistan Chemicals and Dyes Merchant Association (PCDMA) to discuss the issue and to decide future line of action. An emergency meeting of all the eight trade bodies of the city is likely to be held with President KCCI Mian Abrar Ahmed on Monday to discuss the issue of condition imposed of commercial imports and medium and small manufactures to collect copy of computerised national identity card ( CNIC) at the time of sale of goods to unregistered person.
They pointed out that former Chairman FBR Salman Siddiq when he was in the chair assured that the condition to collect copy of CNIC at the time of sale of goods to unregistered person would not be implanted. However, after his retirement the condition was re-imposed through new SRO.
Thy once again demanded immediate withdrawal of mandatory condition of CNIC/ NTN for all purchases made by any unregistered person which cerates immense hurdles in doing business smoothly and business and industrial community cannot comply with it. They expressed the opinion that the government as and when formulate polices it should be uniform for every sector.
They were of the opinion the condition is not expectable to them in any circumstances. To increase tax net at retail stage, they suggested that information should be collected through electricity, gas bills and credit cards. Condition of indication of NTN or NTRN number on shops signboards should be made compulsory. They reiterated that FBR should first complete the exercise by the registering the whole supply chain and remove exemptions.
They demanded that FBR should not burden the already registered tax payers by imposing condition of furnishing CNIC/NTN for their sales because business and Industrial community, already facing manifold problems like power, gas and water shortage, law-and-order situation and 2 weekly holidays.