Traders announce nationwide strike on Aug 28

KCCI joins forces with traders to demand immediate relief from govt's tax burden

KARACHI:

A countrywide shutter-down strike has been called for August 28 by traders and businessmen protesting the skyrocketing costs of doing business, fuelled by unbearable taxes and exorbitantly high electricity and gas tariffs. The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has announced its full support for the strike.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir stressd the need for unity among traders against what he described as a "cruel tax system." He criticised the federal budget for imposing new taxes that have driven up the prices of essential commodities and utilities, including pulses, vegetables, medicines, books, utility bills, and transport fares. Mir noted that the resulting record-high inflation has severely impacted both traders and ordinary citizens, reducing purchasing power to unprecedented lows. He argued that while the general population suffers, the elite, including the country's aristocracy and plutocracy, remain largely unaffected.

"Lacklustre sales have been the norm for four consecutive weeks, with shopkeepers sitting idle, waiting for customers," lamented Mir. "Meanwhile, the government continues to focus on taxing traders and the salaried class instead of cutting down the expenses of ministers and the bureaucracy. The electricity bill alone consists of 14 taxes—this is utter injustice."

Mir voiced full support for the August 28 strike, which was initially announced by Markazi Tanzeem Tajran President Kashif Chaudhry. The strike is a protest against the excesses committed by K-Electric and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). "We reject the Tajir Dost Scheme and all federal budget taxes in the larger interest of traders, the public, and the country," Mir stated. He warned that if the government fails to act in defence of the people and against the luxuries afforded to the plutocracy, there could be widespread unrest.

KCCI President Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh also urged all members to support the August 28 strike by keeping their businesses closed. He urged that the government's controversial Tajir Dost Scheme, alongside heavy electricity bills and other taxes, must be withdrawn immediately.

Sheikh criticised the government's practice of serving notices to both registered and unregistered traders, demanding an advance tax of Rs60,000 per month. He described this as harassment and pointed out that the majority of shopkeepers cannot afford such a high tax. "It was assured that only a nominal tax of Rs1,000 to Rs1,200 would be applied, but the FBR is demanding Rs60,000, which we strongly condemn," Sheikh said.

He called on the government to defer the Tajir Dost Scheme for at least three months and to hold consultations with all stakeholders to make the scheme genuinely trader-friendly. Despite numerous letters from the KCCI to policymakers, Sheikh lamented that no action has been taken to address these concerns.

"In this era of inflation, it has become extremely difficult for shopkeepers to continue their businesses," he lamented. "Instead of providing relief, the government keeps imposing heavy taxes and raising electricity bills, which is unacceptable to any trader. Therefore, the KCCI has decided to fully support the countrywide strike on August 28."