Daily Times

The flour mills shutdown across the country Thursday on the strike call of Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) to protest against imposition of more taxes resulting in suspension of supplies of flour and other by-products.

In Karachi, around 80 large and small flour mills have been closed to protest against imposition of tax on chokar (bran) and increase in the rate of turnover tax on flour mills in the recently announced budget. PFMA Chairman Chaudhry Muhammad Yousaf had announced a two-day countrywide strike in the first phase of their protest starting from Thursday (yesterday) against turnover and sales taxes imposed by the government.

He threatened that the millers will go on strike for an indefinite period from 30th of June if their demands were not accepted. The millers demanded that the government withdraw the recently imposed 17 per cent GST on bran (Chokar).

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Wednesday decided to withdraw the proposed 17 per cent sales tax on chokar (bran). A spokesperson of FBR in a clarification said that the income tax rate on the turnover of flour mills will remain at 0.25 per cent. He maintained that the omission in the Finance Bill-2021 will be corrected via an amendment.