May 18, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 12, 1429

FAISALABAD, May 17: Members of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) seek refund of millions of rupees they were forced to deposit as membership renewal fee, sources told Dawn on Saturday.

They said the FCCI top leadership, mostly influential industrialists, had chalked out a plan to raise funds for some community welfare projects. Former president of the chamber Mian Mohammad Idrees got the proposal approved in the general body meeting of the chamber last year.

The revised fee schedule increased renewal fee for Associate Class from Rs900 to Rs3,400 and for Corporate Class from Rs1,200 to Rs7,200.

Some of the dissident members challenged the new fee structure with the director general of Trade Organisation, Islamabad and the DTO barred the FCCI management from collection of renewal fee at enhanced rates.

Though members have been approaching the chamber management for return of their excess money but it seems in no mood to facilitate them.

Chamber’s officials keep telling the members that the case is still pending with the government and the fate of deposited dues would be decided after the final DTO verdict.

An executive member of the FCCI, requesting anonymity said it had been decided that if the government decides the case in favour of the chamber then remaining members would have to pay the balance dues. A special circular would be issued for this purpose, he said adding the excess amount would be returned to the members if the government declares the revised fee structure as null and void.

Former senior vice-president of the FCCI Shehzad Johri alleged that members, who had been demanding refunds, were being humiliated by the secretary of chamber. He told the refund seekers that the government had only restricted the collection of fee in new cases instead of directing refunds to the members already paid the enhanced fee.