SIALKOT - Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Sheikh Abdul Majid has lauded the FBR decision whereby it declared that the present system of selection of computerised balloting will be changed in the wake of Lahore High Court ruling.
In a press statement issued here on Thursday, he stressed that the LHC ruling should be implemented on urgent basis. He welcomed the decision to involve members from the chambers of commerce and industries concerned in the balloting process.
The tax payers, particularly that of Sialkot are not against paying tax but the method adopted by the Federal Board of Revenue (FDR) is totally illogical. The FBR should initiate the process of audit afresh in the light of the guidelines and comply with the mandate given under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, Sales Tax Act 1990 and the Federal Excise Act 2005 and the officials of FBR should not wrongly interpret the laws to their own liking and choice, he added.
The SCCI President pointed out that the government should make policy parameters clear and there should be no ambiguity in the interpretation of laws to ensure benefit to the taxpayers in the larger interest of the business community.
He said that the Sialkot businessmen had always paid a positive role while cooperating in the real sense with the Income Tax Authorities by contributing millions of rupees in terms of tax collection and a much needed hard earned foreign exchange earnings for the nation. The SCCI president maintained that taxpayers should be further facilitated and must be saved from further hassle.
Govt initiatives to overcome energy crisis lauded: Commenting on the granting of one year extension in Upfront Tariff to the Wind Projects located in the Province of Sindh for a further period of one year, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Sheikh Abdul Majid lauded the decision and earnest efforts of the present government to overcome acute energy crises prevailing in the country.
He appealed to the government for speed up construction of hydal power project at Nandipur and extend support to different initiatives of the Chamber to explore possibilities of producing electricity to meet the pressing energy demands of Sialkot.
Talking reporters here on Thursday, he also maintained that renewable energy options like Wind, Solar, Municipal Waste, etc. should be initiated in Sialkot as per National energy policy with the help of multilateral agencies, like World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The SCCI president also appealed to the Board of Investment (BOI) for suitable match-making with international investors to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) with the collaboration of the SCCI to produce electricity in Sialkot.
He said that the resolution of electricity loadshedding problem demanded long term sustainable planning by the government and the Chamber was continuously pressurising the authorities concerned to adopt long term industry-friendly policies for the good of Manufacturing and Export Sectors.
The SCCI president said the SCCI was committed towards facilitating industrialists and also had raised issue of loadshedding at various forums. He said that the Chamber had strongly demanded reduction in loadshedding duration and had required fixation of electricity quota for Sialkot Industrial Zones.