The leadership of tobacco growers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and officer-bearers of different organizations of KP Agricultural and Rural Development have demanded of the PTI government to provide relief to tobacco growers of the province in the wake of coronavirus pandemic and fix advanced tax on cigarettes products instead of imposing tax on growers.
Addressing a press conference at National Press Club Islamabad on Tuesday, leaders of different organizations of tobacco growers and unions of industrial labour workers from KP including Kisan Board Pakistan, Sarhad Agricultural and Rural Development Organization, Pakistan Tobacco Workers Association, Anjuman-e-Tahafuz-e-Haqooq-e-Kashtkaran and Labourers Federation stated that tobacco is the only cash crop of KP, which has been contributing billions of rupees to national exchequer in the shape of central excise duty and also providing sustenance to millions of people in the province.
Addressing the press conference, they said advanced tax on tobacco will ruin the growers and farmers and establish monopoly of multi-national tobacco companies in Pakistan, resulting in massive unemployment in KP. They said multinational tobacco companies exploit local tobacco industry and tobacco growers and farmers as they purchase tobacco on cut rates. They maintained that instead of imposing advanced tax on tobacco growers and farmers, tax should be imposed on cigarettes. They said the proposed advanced tax on tobacco growers of Rs 500/kg will ruin tobacco sector and millions of people associated with this cash-crop.
Addressing the press conference, Ibrarullah of Sadar Mehnatkash Labor Federation said that local tobacco sector in KP has been providing jobs to thousands of workers, while on other side, multinational companies have terminated hundreds of workers from jobs and their cases are pending with courts.
Haji Naimatullah of Sadar Anjuman Tahfuz-e-Haqooq-e-Kashtkaran said that in 2019 with efforts of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, the PTI government ceased advanced tax on tobacco growers, but in the budget of 2020-21, there are suggestions to impose Rs500/kg advanced tax on tobacco, which will be equivalent to economic murder of tobacco growers and farmers in KP.
President Sarhad Agricultural and Rural Development Haji Abdul Nabi said that advanced tax on tobacco will be tantamount to added burden on poor growers and farmers.
President Pakistan Tobacco Workers Association Liaqat Yousafzai said that with prosperity of farmers, the country will be also get prosperous, adding that government should impose all added and advanced tax on tobacco products instead of tobacco growers. He also demanded that local tobacco growers should also be include in Pakistan Tobacco Board.
President Anjuman Tahafuz-e-Kashtkaran Haji Naimatullah said that tobacco is sole cash crop of KP and millions of people are associated with this crop, adding that any advanced and added tax will ruin future of these families. He said Rs500/kg advanced tax on tobacco crop will be alike economic murder of these millions of people associated with this sector.