PESHAWAR: The United Business Group (UBG) of Peshawar-based businesspersons has criticised Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Shabbar Zaidi for claiming that the government would not increase the prices of ghee and cooking oil, saying that he was unaware of the market rates where ghee and oil prices have already been increased by Rs20 per kilogramme.

In a statement here on Sunday, UBG leader former senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilour said that the government had made an increase of up to Rs20 per kilogramme in the prices of ghee and cooking oil.

However, he said, the FBR chairman during his meeting with business community at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday claimed that the government had not increased the prices ghee and cooking oil so far.

Say govt has already increased prices of ghee and cooking oil by Rs20 per kg

The UBG leader asked that government functionaries not to dodge the business community for personal projection.

He said that the FBR’s decisions would increase the prevailing gulf between the government and business community if the prime minister did not take immediate notice.

He rejected Mr Zaidi’s statement, saying that the government had already increased the prices of ghee and cooking oil in the open market for consumers.

Mr Bilour alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan was ruining the country’s economy through the FBR, which was treating the people, especially the traders, like dacoits and looters.

He warned that the business community was on the path of protest against the government for its unwise economic decisions.

“We will hold the FBR and other relevant departments responsible for the failure of the country’s economy in case it does not stop its immature decisions,” he warned.

Mr Bilour said that the rulers were unable to devise effective policies for improvement of the national economy and as such the government would not be able to achieve its economic targets by presenting IMF-dictated budget.

He said that imposition of heavy direct and indirect taxes in the budget had added to the people’s miseries.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2019