Banking tax: Faisalabad traders threaten strike today

FAISALABAD:

Faisalabad Anjuman Tajiran leader Aslam Bhalli said on Monday that traders would go an indefinite shutter-down strike from Tuesday (today) if the federal government did not withdraw the 0.6 advance tax on bank transactions.

Addressing a press conference, he said they would set up a protest camp at Clock Tower Chowk till the tax was withdrawn.

Bhalli said traders would start avoiding banking transactions due to the tax.



He said the federal government should avoid antagonizing traders.

Haji Bashir Ahmad, Nawaz Vohra, Sheikh Yousuf Moti, Akram Pasha, Sheikh Abdul Qayyum, Abbas Haidar Sheikh, Chaudhary Sarwar, Hajji Abid and Amin Butt were also present.

Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association’s central chairman Qaisar Shamas Guccha also
announced a strike at Yarn Market.

He said all business would remain closed on Tuesday in protest against the tax on bank transactions.

Meanwhile, Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday invited representatives of traders’ bodies from across the country to a meeting scheduled for Wednesday to discuss concerns over the proposed tax.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2015.