PESHAWAR: Businessmen have called the imposition of 2 percent cess on export from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as unjust step of the provincial government and asked to immediately withdraw it.
Business community said the export had been shifted to other provinces after the imposition of cess.
Traders expressed fear that trade and export would be completely vanished if the cess wasn’t withdrawn immediately; resultantly it would trigger massive unemployment in the province.
Traders and exporters raised the issue during a meeting with Senior Vice president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce Abdul Jalil Jan here on Sunday.
SVP SCCI Abdul Jalil Jan while speaking on the occasion said that business and industry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already come to a standstill position due to imposition of heavy taxes. He said after the collection of 2 per cent cess on export by provincial government, the businesses and industry would be completely packing up in the province. He said the entire trade and export process had been halted, which had brought an adverse effect on the economy and business. He further said that no tax has been imposed on exports in any other province of the country, but 2% cess is being charged on exports in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is discriminatory step of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government with the business community.
The SVP SCCI said that such actions of the government are increasing the sense of deprivation among the people and business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He strongly demanded that the provincial government withdraw the 2% cess on exports immediately so that the wheel of business and industry can be restored here and the economy can also get stability.
He said that the cabinet of SCCI will soon meet the Chief Minister and the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the problems of the traders will be discussed and the problems of the business community will be informed in detail to amicably solve them.
He said the SCCI delegation would present effective suggestions and recommendations for solution of the traders’ problems.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024