Members and chairman's of five zero rated textile and export sectors associations have stage a demo before Site Association of Industry (SAI) to protest against the recently issued SRO 154(i)/2013 dated 28-02-2013; SRO 140(i)/2013 dated 26-02-2013 by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and demanded its withdrawal without delay on Friday after Juma prayer.
The demonstrators were holding black flags and banners demanding withdrawal of SROs. They also charted slogans against FBR. The demonstrators expressed that the SRO will benefit unregistered people and said that the government was giving too much importance to the unregistered sector instead of registered sector which earn huge foreign exchange for the country.
They said that the government penalised registered sector by imposing tax. Imposing sales tax and later refunding the same is clearly a tool for opening doors of corruption, they claimed. The demonstrators alleged that FBR has deliberately took only those persons on board who are selling their goods to the unregistered persons while preparing SROs.
They further said that not a single person from registered sector was taken on board while the SRO was under discussion for preparing and issuing. The demonstrators alleged that FBR giving punishment of registering to registered sector. They pointed out that all over the world governments facilitate and provide VIP treatment to its registered sector whereas in Pakistan the government treating registered in other way and this sector is look like orphans.
Thy claimed that exports sector is already greatly burdened with Rs 60 billions held up with the government in sales tax refund claims. They said that held up claims and custom rebates causing acute liquidity crunch together with high utilities tariffs, ever increasing fuel cost, gas shortage and low gas pressure, electricity load shedding; high cost of doing business and prevailing law and order condition and all factors jointly harming export and manufacturing sectors.