Trepidation: Businessmen argue against tax imposition

Relief package holds no mean for big industrialists, says a trader.

PESHAWAR:

The recent announcement of the withdrawal of the Prime Minister Relief Package to Pata and Fata has raised concerns within the business community that the move would adversely affect the already impoverished economy of the province.

“These concessions available to the province have been withdrawn in the budget,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, chairman of the All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association, adding that another 2% tax on supplies to unregistered persons and 16% federal excise duty on financial services have been imposed which, he believes, would put further pressure on the business community.

Another trader, Said Badshah, said the relief package held no meaning for big industrialists but directly benefited the poor and working-class. Badshah argued other provinces are already consuming K-P and Fata’s resources and such steps would only make the province more economically weak and dependant on others.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2013.