PESHAWAR - Business community, hairdressers, tailors, private jobs holders and low salary class has expressed severe disappointment over the imposition of new taxes by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government and demanded of the government to exempt small job holders and low level professionals from these taxes as the masses are already suffering due to high inflation.
Provincial Vice President of Traders Association Mehar Ilahi strongly condemned additional taxes on business community and said that purchasing power of the people is almost on decline and home expenses of every citizen increased manifold while now provincial government is flexing its muscles to impose additional taxes on them. He said that they would hold meeting today afternoon to chalk out their future line of action and give tit-for-tat response to government over this issue. He said that the business community would soon take the streets against this cruel government to express the resentment of the business community and other professionals.
Talking to the Nation, Kashif Ahmad, a tailor by profession, said that on one hand their business has been badly affected due to loadshedding and price hike while on the other hand government is imposing new taxes on them which would be additional burden on them to cut their expenses. He said that government should provide facilities and uninterrupted power supply to all professionals and after that they should think about imposition of new taxes.
He added that all professionals are running their business on generators and it is hard for them to manage their fuel for generators while government is talking about taxes. He said that government is already taking ten percent sale tax bill in utility bills, sending heavy commercial bills to shopkeepers, beside these federal taxes is additional burden on them.
All Pakistan CNG Association President Fazal Moqeem Khan said that it was not a single time and each time they were targeted with heavy taxes. He said that they are paying four percent other surcharges in head of provincial and federal duties and now provincial government imposed new income tax of 11 thousand which is atrocity against the business community.
Noman Khan, working in a private organization, expressed severe anguish over imposing taxes on Rs 20000 per month. He said that private employees are working in extremely tough environment and instead of giving relief to private employees and daily wagers, government further tightening noose around their neck. Tahir Khan, chemists association leader, also condemned the imposition of new taxes on medical store owners and said that they could not manage their rent and billing expenses while government is inflicting more burdens on business community. He added that they would resist the decision of the government and in this connection they have arranged meeting to start agitation.
It is pertinent to mentioned here that for the first time provincial government has imposed new taxes on various services and professionals to generate more revenue for the province, however in return there are no facilities like concession in commercial bills and uninterrupted supply of electricity.