PESHAWAR: All Pakistan Flour Mills Association (APFMA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, has rejected the imposition of 17 per cent sales tax on flour and demanded of the government to withdraw the decision as it will directly affect the poor people.

According to a statement, the apprehension was shown during the executive body meeting of APFMA, KP chapter, held with the association chairman Mohammad Tariq in the chair here on Wednesday. APFMA central chairman Mohammad Naeem Butt and owners of all flour mills were present on the occasion.

Through a unanimously adopted resolution the meeting rejected the sales tax and feared that the increasing number of additional taxes would make the lives of people miserable due to the price hike.

The millers decided to convene another such meeting on Friday (tomorrow) to decide their future course of action after the government’s decision to impose the levy on flour. The new taxes, the participants said, would add to the problems of both the millers and consumers.

Mr Butt voiced his concern over the imposition of 17 per cent sales tax on flour, saying it would lead to unprecedented increase in the price of flour and bread and the people would be unable to afford their routine expenditures.

He said that the increasing price hike had already disturbed the poverty-stricken masses and the government’s decision would multiply their miseries. He said that the government’s policies had failed to provide any relief to the masses.

Mr Butt said that a meeting of APFMA would be held in Lahore on Friday in which the millers from across the country would discuss the prevailing situation and take a firm stand against the new taxes.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2019