KASUR, May 26: Powerloom owners and workers protested against the district government on Monday for increasing the rate of tax on them, which they said, was beyond their capacity to pay.

A meeting of the Small Powerlooms Association here said the district government imposed tax in addition to income tax which would force them to close their looms as a result of which thousands of workers would become jobless.

The participants said the district government increased the rate of tax to Rs400 for a single powerloom and Rs1,600 for a small unit, while in the past it was Rs20 and Rs25.

They claimed that the small powerloom owners had already been paying Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 as income, sales and other taxes.

They threatened that they would close their units and come on roads if the increase in tax was not withdrawn.