Flour millers protest levy of WHT

HYDERABAD:

Flour mills in Hyderabad and adjoining districts have resorted to a complete shutter down strike on Thursday following the levy of withholding tax (WHT), keeping all 222 chakkis shut in Hyderabad alone.

The call for a nationwide strike was given by Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) while in Hyderabad Aata Chakki Owners Welfare Association responded to the strike.

Earlier, the association had given the strike call for July 6 but they later offered five days to the government to withdraw the tax. The ongoing protest may create shortage of flour as well as food shortage in the country in near future.

The leader of the association, Saeed Ahmed said the federal government has imposed 5.5 per cent withholding tax effective from July 1 on the flour mills and chakkis. He added that flour mills and chakkis have been asked to collect collect 2.5 per cent WHT on the essential commodities from the non-filers and 2 per cent from the filers. "It's not our responsibility to collect tax on behalf of the government from the public," Ahmed said, adding, we are not supposed to check who is filer and who is non-filer.