HYDERABAD: Tax collection from small farmers opposed
Bureau Report
HYDERABAD, April 3: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture has rejected a notification of the Sindh Board of Revenue requiring tax collection in violation of the Sindh Land Tax and Agriculture Tax Ordinance 2000. At a meeting held here on Sunday, the chamber pointed out that under the notification (No-131) issued on March 24, 2005, the board had directed all district revenue officers to recover land revenue and agriculture tax from farmers who own 10 acres of agriculture land.
Syed Qamar-uz-Zaman Shah presided over the meeting.
The meeting said it had been clearly mentioned in the ordinance that no land tax and agriculture tax would be charged from those farmers who own less than 16 acres of irrigated and 32 acres of non-irrigated land.
It claimed the recovery of land tax and agriculture tax of farmers who own only 10 acres of land was not only a flagrant violation of the Sindh Land Tax and Agriculture Tax Ordinance 2000 but also a great injustice with small farmers and poor haris.
The meeting demanded that the notification should immediately be recalled.
It urged the small growers not to pay the illegal tax.
It warned that if the notification was not withdrawn the chamber reserved the right to protest.
In another resolution, the meeting demanded that the federal ministry of commerce should exempt growers from import and export duty for importing seeds especially sunflower seed and for exporting agriculture produce.
It said this paragraph must be included in new trade policy.
The meeting said Chikoo, mango, kino, melon and other fruits had great market abroad.
In another resolution, the meeting demanded that the government should urge commercial attachés to provide timely information to growers about the needs of the world market.
FARM IMPLEMENTS: The Sindh secretary for agriculture has directed district officers of the agriculture extension department to sell farm implements lying with them to growers at the subsidized rates to improve crop production, especially cotton.
The instructions were issued to the directorate of the agriculture farm and major crop development here on March 29.
About 83 hard-time cultivators and 85 bed-shaper, ridger and planters are lying with the district officers.
The price of cultivator per piece is Rs58,000 and of bed-shaper Rs49,999.
The district officers have been directed to sell these items at the subsidized rates of Rs29,000 and Rs25,000, respectively.
The farm implements are to be disposed of within one month and the sale proceeds are to be deposited in a bank account of the director general agriculture extension Sindh, Hyderabad.
