‘Unjust’ taxation: Traders threaten to close fruit, vegetable market

Demand reversal of ICT decision to form committee.

ISLAMABAD:

The traders’ action committee of fruits, vegetables and food grains market in Sector I-11/4 has threatened to shut down their businesses for an indefinite period against what they call an unjustified tax by a newly formed market committee by the Islamabad Capital Territory.

The body’s members were holding a press conference at the National Press Club on Tuesday and gave two days to the city administration for reversal of its decision.

Members of the action committee present at the conference included Babu Muhammad Aleem, Syed Siraj Agha, Tahir Ayub and Ashfaq Abbasi, among others.

The traders said robberies were common in the area and blamed the police and Capital Development Authority (CDA) for being involved in such incidents.

They also raised concerns about the presence of an illegal Afghan colony in the area.

The traders claimed that instead of utilising funds provided by the traders for security, protection and development of the market, CDA handed over its control to the ICT on the pretext of security reasons after the bombing in the April.

The traders said ICT had constituted a committee to deal with market affairs which was “not only illegal and unconstitutional but it is also a source of corruption and bribery”.

“The 22-member committee has been constituted after declaring Islamabad as an agriculture area headed by magistrate Nouman Yousaf which has the mandate to collect Rs25,000 thousand on account of license fee from wholesalers and Rs12,000 from retailers per annum, in addition to a charge of Rs5,000 on every trip of a truck which enters the market to offload the merchandise, ” said an action committee member.

They alleged that the area separated in the master plan of Islamabad for agriculture production and supply of fruits, vegetables and grain to meet the needs of the residents of the capital had been turned into farm houses because of the corrupt officials of CDA.

The traders said any such committee should have been formed by the local government which could not happen in Islamabad since local body elections had yet to be held.

They said they had taken land from CDA on a 99-year lease so the ICT did not have a right to constitute a market committee to impose and collect taxes from traders.

We will block IG Principal Road and other main highways if our demands are not met, said a trader’s body leader.

They warned that their protests would create a shortage of fruits and vegetables in the twin cities, adding the the Islamabad commissioner and CDA chairperson would be responsible for the situation.

Many poor labourers who were injured in the bombing at the market were not provided with any treatment facilities by the government, they complained.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2014.