LAHORE    -   The retailers have lauded the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) for its untiring efforts for withdrawal of fixed tax on electricity bills. Business community leaders from all the leading city markets have said that the Lahore Chamber has proved itself a true representative of the businessmen.

After receiving a number of complaints from the members, LCCI president Mian Nauman Kabir raised his voice to rescue the retailers who were imposed fixed tax through their electricity bills and urged the government to withdraw it immediately. LCCI efforts yield results and the government withdrew the fixed tax for retailers and shopkeepers which were imposed through their electricity bills for a year. Mian Nauman Kabir, while talking to a group of market leaders, said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry will leave no stone unturned to protect the stakes of the business community.

“It is good to see that the government has given weightage to the LCCI demand and took prompt action in this regard,” he added. The LCCI president said that in this era of high inflation and difficult economic crisis, the withdrawal of this decision by the government will help prevent the businessmen for bearing extra burden. He further stated that the cost of doing business in Pakistan was more than other regional. While imposing fixed tax through electricity bills was creating more hurdles for small retailers who already are working on a small profit margin. Earlier in a statement, the LCCI president said that it was an ample proof of the government’s friendly approach towards the business community.

He said that withdrawal of fixed tax on demand of the LCCI will help trust building and will promote the idea of public-private partnership. Mian Nauman Kabir vowed that the LCCI will continue to raise the issues being faced by the business community so that they can play their role more effective role in economic uplift of the country. He pledged to work as a bridge between the business community and the government. He urged the government to take business community on board while devising trade and industry related policies as they are major stakeholders of economy. Their participation and representation in policy making is the only key to bring the country out of this state of economic crisis.