PESHAWAR  -    Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Tuesday opposed the government decision regarding restoration of Octroi system, a tax on various goods brought into a town, and termed it a consistency of the government’s anti-business policies. The objection was raised in a meeting of traders from Shoba Bazar Peshawar with SCCI president Hasnain Khurshid. The SCCI president said that the FBR is already collecting 3 percent on head of the same tax, so it could be unjustifiable to restore the Octroi tax.

 system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He warned to strongly resist the move and to lodge a strong protest besides approaching the superior court against imposing this illegal tax.

The participants of the meeting on expressed serious concern over the imposition of Point of Sale, an integrated system, introduced by the FBR.

They discussed traders’ issues pertaining to collection of double taxes, introduction a fixed tax regime, concern of clearing tax, laden with car/vehicles spare parts in Islamabad and Rawalpindi dry-ports, issuance business visas for various countries, apprehension on newly-introduced PSW (Pakistan Single Window) System, and collection of levies/duties in erstwhile FATA.

The SCCI chief said the SCCI is a representative forum of traders, which had played a pivotal role in the resolution of business community, and would continue to play its due role for resolving community issues by taking up with relevant federal and provincial government authorities. The chamber president assured the traders community to take effective steps to resolve their issues on priority basis.