Talking business: Trade body demands pro-people budget

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has asked the federal government to announce a special package to boost the province’s economy and make the upcoming budget more public-friendly. KPCCI President Zahidullah Shinwari, senior vice-president Shafiq Ahmad and dry ports standing committee chairman Ziaul Haq Sarhadi expressed these views at the Express Forum on Friday held at Express Daily’s office. Sarhadi said the Ministry of Finance, for the first time in history, has asked stakeholders across the country for their proposals. “Ishaq Dar deserves appreciation for this move but the suggestions should be practically implemented as well,” he added. Shinwari said if the government is serious about providing relief to the public it needs to broaden the tax ambit instead of increasing the tax rate. He further said the government needs to provide more relief to the production sector, saying only 160,000 production units, from 2.5 million in total, are registered while only 28,000 pay taxes.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2014.