Peshawar    -   The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has welcomed the government’s decision of withdrawing the ‘fixed tax’ for retailers and shopkeepers in electricity bills for a year.

Terming it appreciable, SCCI president Hasnain Khurshid in a statement said that the government withdrew the fixed tax for retailers and shopkeepers imposed on electricity bills for a year after successful talks with leaders of the traders’ community at the central level. He added the incumbent government’s business-friendly policies would bring economic stability and flourish trade and economic activities in the country.

Mr Khurshid said that traders have been playing a pivotal role in the economic development of the country by paying multiple federal and provincial taxes. Therefore, he urged the government to provide facilities and incentives to trade and business communities and refrain from enforcing anti-business policies.

He also said that most traders ensure timely payment of all federal and provincial taxes and cooperate with the government even in hard times. However, he said that this injustice of the collection of double taxes is intolerable and unacceptable.

The SCCI president urged the government to consult the business community before imposing any new tax and framing any policy about trade and business to avoid developing any vacuum between the government institutions and the business community.

Instead of enforcing anti-traders policies, the government should facilitate the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa business community which has already been affected badly by terrorism and coronavirus, said Mr Khurshid. He said the SCCI has always backed the government’s business-friendly policies and expressed the hope that the policies would be sustained for the economic stability of the country.

The chamber president asked the government to announce special incentives to revive the Covid-19 hit industries and businesses and urged the government to review the recent increase in electricity and gas tariffs. He also demanded the federal government ensure uninterrupted electricity and gas supply to industries and business premises.