LAHORE: Office-bearers of the United Progressive Group of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran (APAT) on Friday demanded the federal government withdraw 0.6 advance tax on all bank transactions, warning it of a country-wide strike and protest until its withdrawal.

They rejected the anti-trader tax categorically, saying the government would not be allowed to loot traders and ordinary citizens on the pretext of the new tax.

Speaking at a press conference at the Lahore Press Club, APAT central secretary general Naeem Mir, flanked by Amjad Chauhdry and Khalid Usman and Safdar Butt, advised the government to increase its tax base through other legal means which it did not want to adopt.

Mr Mir said the new tax would adversely affect all the segments of society, including traders who were already facing various challenges. He termed the new tax a means to destroy banks as the traders would start avoiding banking transactions due to it.

Mir said he had convened a meeting of traders from all parts of the country on next Friday to decide the mode of protest which could go on for an indefinite period.

In a related development, the All Pakistan Cement Traders Association (APCTA) sought help from the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry to resolve the issue of tax on all banking transactions.

An APCTA delegation called on LCCI president Ijaz A Mumtaz and Vice President Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi and informed them that imposition of tax on all bank transactions had caused unrest in the sector.

The business community had been forced to conduct its monetary transactions through the banking system on account of dangers involved in cash handling due to the law and order situation but was being asked to pay tax merely for doing so, they said.

The APCTA delegation said all business-related decisions were taken in consultation with the representatives of the community in civilized countries but neither the chambers nor the trade associations had been consulted before the imposition of the unjustified tax on bank transactions.

The LCCI office-bearers assured the delegation that the matter would be taken up with the government.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2015

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