Traders in Bannu threaten anti-polio campaign boycott over new tax regime

Information Shaukat Yousufzai tells violators to face action, remains adamant on new taxes

BANNU: Traders in Bannu have threatened to boycott the upcoming anti-polio campaign in the district unless the government withdraws the new taxation regime.

This was threatened as the Bannu Traders Association (BTA) members staged a protest rally against the sales tax regime in the district on Sunday.

The rally and threat left the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai astonished who stated in a video message on Sunday that they will not retract the new tax regime and that they will press ahead with the immunization drive.

“If the trade unionists have any issues with the provincial government or relating to taxes, they can always sit with the government to talk out these issues,” Yousafzai said, as he warned that those trying to jeopardise critical health drives such as the immunization campaign will face strict action. The provincial information minister further said that there is no connection between sales tax and the anti-polio campaign in the province, adding that the government will never succumb to these demands of traders.

“We will provide full-fledged security [to polio vaccinators] in every part of the province, as we never step back from vaccination campaigns even when militancy was in full swing in the province,” he said, adding that they will never tolerate any such move from any part of the society which jeopardizes the fate of future generations. The provincial information minister said that Polio is no less than terrorism. Just like we have defeated terrorism, we will defeat polio in the country and the province.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2019.