Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Division, Hammad Azhar Saturday claimed that majority of shop owners rejected the shutter-down strike call and showed willingness to change the tax culture of Pakistan. According to a tweet of Hammad Azhar Saturday, "I would like to appreciate the majority of shop owners that today rejected the strike call and have shown willingness to change the tax culture of Pakistan. We are in contact with the representatives of trade associations to formulate a workable way forward towards documentation." The minister said it is a fact that retail sector in Pakistan contributes approximately 20 percent of GDP, but its contribution towards total tax collection is just 0.25 percent.
According to the tweet of Hammad Azhar, "Let's have a rundown on the average annual income tax (estimated) collected from a shop in the following markets of Lahore: Liberty = Rs 75k/annum, Johar Town = Rs 35k, Township = Rs 20K, Brandeth Road = Rs 30K, Hall Road = Rs 20k. A large number of shops are not registered and are paying nothing."