RCB hikes rates for liquor, gun shops, brings fruit chat, pizza parlours in net

Increased trade and professional tax implemented on small businesses

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) in an unprecedented move has increased trade and professional tax by up to 400 per cent on water bottlers, liquor stores and gun shops, while adding nearly 200 businesses in the net including pizza parlours, beauty parlours, and fruit chaat sellers.

According to a resolution passed in the meeting of the RCB, trade and professional tax rate has been increased for 294 businesses and 194 new enterprises have brought in the fold of trade and professional tax. The new rates will be applicable from August 1.

The meeting took up the issue of objection filed on the new tax rates. However, the representative body of the traders, Anjuman-e-Tajiran, which had filed the objection was absent. The meeting was informed that the traders’ body had been issued three notices to come and explain its objection, but it did not, therefore the new trade and professional tax regime of RCB will come in to force.

The businesses on which trade and professional tax rates have been increased include  bakeries, advertising agencies, guns and ammunition sale, purchase and repair shops, private banks, barber shops, musical instruments, old book sellers, all business shops, liquor dealers, beef, mutton, chicken, chemists, cigarette agencies, taxi and rickshaw owners, tailors, theatre, circus, cloth merchants, commission agents, contractors, laboratories, electricians, flour mills, flour dealers, hotels, furniture dealers, frozen kebab makers, filling stations, milk shops, opticians, sport goods, tandoors and naan centres, restaurants, teashops and tent services besides others.

Similarly, prominent among the 195 businesses brought in to net of trade and professional tax include beauty parlours, private hospitals, clinics, hakeems offering herbal medicines, spare parts, car showrooms, biryani centres, fry-fish shops, fruit chaat, fast food, grocery stores, jewellers, gift shops, mobile phone sellers, pizza parlours, nimco factories, plant nurseries, tikka-kebab shop, money changers, branded cloth dealers, LPG agencies, travel and tour agencies, franchises of courier companies and others.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2018.