LAHORE: The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has warned to go on strike if the proposed increase in the annual turnover tax on flour milling industry and sales tax clamped on bran is not withdrawn.

The Association claimed that turnover tax has been increased from 0.25 per cent to 1.25 per cent in the proposed budget for the next fiscal and both increase in turnover tax and sales tax on bran will lead to increase of Rs 5 per kg in flour prices.

PFMA Central Chairman Badar Uddin Kakar and PFMA Punjab Chairman Asim Raza Ahmad while addressing a press conference here Tuesday said that bran is a by-product and there is no sales mechanism for bran. They said that flour prices in 'Sahulat Bazaars' will also increase after imposition of both these taxes.

Replying to a question, he said that government did meet its wheat procurement target but still grain had to be imported to meet the shortfall. They said there should be free wheat transportation within the country as ban on transportation of wheat to KPK would create discrimination.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021