Daily Times

Members of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Executive Committee on Friday demanded of the provincial government to abolish two percent cess on export.

The EC members also called for reviewing the property and professional taxes, otherwise, business, trade and economic activities will end in the province, generating unemployment.

A maiden meeting of the newly elected SCCI’ executive body was held under chairmanship of President Fazal Moqeem Khan here at the chamber house.

The meeting was attended by former FPCCI president Ghazanfar Bilour, the chamber senior vice president Abdul Jalil Jan, vice president Shehryar Khan, member of the SCCI’ executive committee Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Nadeem Rauf, Aftab Iqbal, Ashfaq Ahmad, Adnan Nasir, Hassan Zahideen, Sabir Ahmad, Saifullah, Gul Zaman, Saddam Hussain, Aafia Walayat, former SCCI’ presidents Zahidullah Shinwari, Haji Muhammad Afzal, Malik Niaz Ahmad, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Faiz Muhammad Faizi, Husnain Khurshid Ahmad, Fuad Ishaq, former SCCI’ SVPs Imran Khan Mohmand, Sanaullah Khan, former VPs Javed Akhtar, Ejaz Khan Afridi, Shuja Muhammad, and Saraf Association president SherFarzand, former president IAP Malik Imran Ishaq, Pervez Khan Khattak, Sohail Javed, Affaf Ali Khan, Saddar Gul, Faiz Rasool, Fazle Wahid, Ishtiaq Muhmmad, Farhad Asfandyar, Ihsanullah, Husnain Sheraz, Syed Ejaz Ali Shah, Secretary General Muqtasid Ahsan and others.

Members of the EC committee termed the imposition of 2 percent cess on export from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as an unjust and cruel step of the provincial government and asked to immediately withdraw it. The export has been shifted to other provinces after the imposition of cess, they added.

The meeting expressed fear that trade and export would be completely vanished if the cess wasn’t withdrawn immediately and also it would trigger massive unemployment in the province.

The executive body members said that business and industry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already come to a standstill position due to imposition of heavy taxes. The participants 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.

President Fazal Moqeem said the entire trade and export process had been halted, which 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 meeting informed property tax and professional tax notices have also been issued to the business community, which amounts to discrimination against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the business community.

The SCCI chief said that such actions of the provincial government are increasing the sense of deprivation among the people and business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The EC members 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.

The meeting informed that the cabinet of SCCI will soon meet the Chief Minister and the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, provincial ministers for Finance, Excise and Taxation, Chief Secretary KP, 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.

The meeting also said the SCCI delegation would present effective suggestions and recommendations for solution of the traders’ problems.

Ghazanfar Bilour, Zahidullah Shinwari, Haji Muhammad Afzal, Fuad Ishaq, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Faiz Muhammad Faizi, executive members and others also spoke on the occasion and presented proposals for resolution of business community issues.