LAHORE: Trading activity at all the seven dry ports of Punjab remained suspended on Monday after the Customs clearing agents and goods transporters observed strike against the imposition of 0.9 per cent Infrastructure Develop­ment Cess (IDC) 2015.

The customs clearance of all imported and exported goods also halted because of the province-wide protest.

The traders protested at all the major dry ports, including Sialkot, Faisal­abad, Multan and Rawal­pindi, under the aegis of the All Pakistan Customs Agents Associa­tion (APCAA) and All Pakistan Truck Trawler Motor Owners Association (APTTMOA).

Speaking at the Lahore’s dry port, APCAA Chairman Amjad Chauhdry termed the cess a double taxation move, saying the Sindh government was already receiving one per cent tax on all imported goods at arrival.

He said the tax would help increase prices of industrial and agricultural goods and create problems for the business community.

He warned that if the provincial government kept implementing the old octroi tax with a new name of IDC, the working at dry ports would remain shut for indefinite period.

Mr Chauhdry said the customs agents and goods transporters along with other traders’ associations would assemble in front of the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday (today) to hold another protest against the cess.

Lahore Customs Agents Asso­ciation President Sajid Aziz Mir and APTTMOA General Secretary Abdul Mateen Sheikh also addressed the protesters.

Sources in the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) sources told Dawn the customs clearing agents working at all Customs stations in the province went on the rampage only after Pakistan Customs started receiving the 0.9 IDC from importers before clearing their consignments from May 25.

They said the cess, which is being collected with 0.9pc ratio of the Customs-assessed value of the imported goods, was implemented by the Punjab government from July 1, 2015, but procedural delays postponed the deduction of IDC from importers.

Sources said the PRA would not withdraw the cess in any case and importers needed to take up the matter with the Sindh government to not deduct 1.15pc cess from imported goods destined for Punjab.

They said traders were complaining that they were already paying the cess at Karachi ports at the import stage.

Sources added that the cess, which was being collected only from importers, was aimed at facilitating the business community with spending on repairs of roads, bridges and other infrastructures.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2016

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