The Business community of Southern Punjab and Chambers of Commerce and Industry Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Rahimyarkhan expressed their deep concern over the recent controversial SROs, issued unilaterally by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), keeping the genuine stakeholders (chambers/all Pakistan associations) in isolation and taking on board only a few non-representatives with whom the FBR officials meet at their homes and make decisions.
The Business Community South Punjab has rejected the controversial SROs 212(I)/2013, SRO 154(I)/2013 and SRO 98(I)/2013 in toto and strongly believed the FBR may have some ulterior motives behind such anti-business move which like in the past will increase fraudulent business practices providing an opportunity to the unscrupulous elements to enjoy edge over the genuine business persons. FBR has recently issued SRO 179(I)/2013 to provide amnesty to such fraudulent elements allowing them to pay just 2 percent sales tax instead of 5 percent as levied under SRO 1125(I)/2011.
This premier and largest chamber of Multan which represents the business and industrial community of Southern Punjab and generates revenue more than what Faisalabad and Rawalpindi generate for the national exchequer has already been brought to the notice of Chairman FBR through various statements in the press/ electronic media that MCCI cannot and will not accept any imposed decision by the FBR and its officials at their whims and discretion causing resentment and negative reaction within the trade and industry in Multan, Bahawalpur, Sadiqabad, Rahimyarkhan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Rajanpur, Mian Chunnu.
The discriminatory SROs being issued one after another tantamount to adding up further to the sufferings and multiple threats already faced by the business community in the country. Muhammad Khan Saddozai President of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) urged upon the Chairman of FBR to rescind the aforementioned SROs and immediately consult all the concerned stakeholders in this regard.