ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has asked the traders community to have a detailed meeting on August 27 before taking any extreme measure of shutter-down strike on August 28 in protest against the “trader-friendly scheme.”

Talking to Business Recorder here on Sunday, Chief Coordinator of the Tajir Dost Scheme Naeem Mir said the FBR Member Inland Revenue Operations have contacted the traders’ representatives and offered them to have a meeting on August 27 for resolution of their issues including tax payments. The meeting is expected to be held at the FBR Headquarters.

The FBR will accept all genuine demands of traders including any amendment in the relevant notification of Tajir Dost Scheme, he added.

Traders to protest against Tajir Dost Scheme on 28th

Recently, the Central Organisation of Traders and All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran announced a nationwide shutter-down strike on August 28 in protest against the so-called “trader-friendly scheme” and recent tax policies.

Kashif Chaudhry and Ajmal Baloch rejected the scheme, calling it impractical and demanded its immediate withdrawal. They also called for the removal of withholding taxes imposed on essential items, including pulses and flour.

So far, the FBR has registered over 58,000 small traders/new shopkeepers under the Tajir Dost Scheme against the target of 3.2 million.

A senior FBR official told Business Recorder that the monthly tax payments from traders would start from this month (August).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024