Protest: Brick kiln owners threaten strike against general sales tax

Say they will shut down operation from first of Ramazan.

PESHAWAR:

Brick kiln owners have announced to shut down their kilns from the first of Ramazan to protest against the imposition of 16 per cent general sales tax (GST).

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Friday, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Brick Kiln Owners’ Association President Sattar Khan and General Secretary Haji Aeen Khan said that the industry was already on the verge of collapse and the imposition of GST would increase the burden on them.

Sattar said the government had imposed GST in 1996 as well. However, the decision was taken back due to several problems. “The imposition of GST would severely affect the lives of the workers. The government should focus on providing incentives rather than imposing taxes on this sector,” he remarked.

“We closed our kilns from July 2-8 and raised our concerns against the imposition of GST. However, no one paid attention to our demands,” he said, adding that they will be forced to shut down the kilns if their demands are ignored.

“We have no other option left, as we cannot afford to pay the tax, neither can the consumers bear the burden as they too have their restrictions,” he claimed.

He also informed that the strike was being conducted at a national level, and the government would be entirely responsible for the problems of daily wage labourers if all the kilns in the country are shut down.

“The unemployment of labourers would further deteriorate the law and order situation. The government is taking the situation very lightly, but it is in fact a matter of grave concern,” he said.

“There are around 273 kilns in Peshawar only, while the number of kilns in the country is around 12,000. Each kiln has around 100 employees,” he explained, adding that all these kilns would be affected by the tax.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2011.