October 18, 2006	Wednesday	Ramazan 24, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 17: Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) president Munawar Iqbal on Tuesday demanded removal of 15 per cent GST on hardware introduced in budget 2006-07.

He, in a statement, said the levy had put computer industry in crisis, although the CBR gave some relief in tax, linked it to value-addition, which did not improve the situation.

“The computer Industry is still in hot waters,” he said adding that they have knocked every door including the CBR and Prime Minister to get a solution but to no avail. He said the PCA had written time and again to prime minister but no action was taken to solve the issue even after the PM instructed his advisor for finance affairs Dr. Salman Shah to look into the matter.

He said that government itself is pushing this industry towards crises by overlooking this serious condition. “This would give an irreparable damage to the industry in coming years,” he added.

The PCA president said that contrary to policies in Pakistan, India has announced a number of incentives for its computer industry, which resulted into a boom in their hardware and software exports.