Traders reject federal budget

Balochistan business community has voiced its strong reservations about the federal budget and demanded special incentives for the province.

The President of Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Vice President Fida Hussain Dashti, Mohammad Ayub Mariani, and others urged the federal government to start work on war-footing to ensure the construction of highways in Balochistan and increase scholarships for the students of the province.

They said that due to narrow and dilapidated highways in Balochistan, tragic accidents are taking place every day resulting in the loss of human lives without inviting any attention from the quarters concerned. They said that 22 people were killed in the passenger van accident in Killa Saifullah due to bad roads and the prime minister should take notice of it.

They however noted that the government has allocated an amount of Rs202 billion for the communication sector which does not seem to change the condition of highways in Balochistan.

QCCI office-bearers said that they are not against the announcement of an increase in tax on luxury vehicles but they wanted the goods imported through the land route to be exempted from taxes levied on 400 items. Fida Dashti however said that 5,000 scholarships for students was a welcome development.