LAHORE (APP) - Pakistan Industrial & Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has urged the Federal Board of Revenue to ensure the release of Sales Tax refund at the earliest because the issue was creating multiple problems for the business community. Chairman PIAF Irfan Qaiser Sheikh while talking to a delegation of the exporters here on Tuesday said that undue delay in release of sales tax refund was hampering the business activities especially the export-oriented activities. PR adds: The PIAF Chairman said that FBR unfriendly policies were coming in the way of widening the tax net. He stressed the need to bring more sectors in tax net as 85 per cent of total revenue was being collected from just 1,600 companies. He said the bringing of more sectors into the Tax net would help increase tax to GDP ratio from existing 8.8pc to 15pc. He said that as compared to other countries of region, tax to GDP ratio in Pakistan was at the lowest level. He said that tax to GDP ratio in India was more than 15 percent while in Bangladesh it was 14.75 percent. Chairman PIAF suggested that agriculture sector, private clinics, private hospitals, doctors, lawyers, tax consultants, beauty parlors, bakeries and marriage halls should also be brought into tax net despite squeezing the existing taxpayers. Irfan Qaiser Sheikh further said that 7 per cent increase in petroleum prices in recent past and 13.5 per cent increase in electricity prices from January 1st were bound to put more burden on industrial sector which was already passing through a very critical period and facing multiple internal and external challenges. He said that keeping in view the crisis-like situation being faced by the entire industry, Federal Board of Revenue should take steps to provide some relief to the industry and ensure to release sales tax refund as soon as possible. PIAF Vice Chairman Khawaja Shahzeb Akram was also present on the occasion.