TAXILA: All Pakistan Flour Mills Association (APFMA) Taxila chapter on Monday rejected the imposition of 17pc sales tax on flour.

The association also threatened to suspend supply of the commodity to the market from Wednesday, if GST was not withdrawn.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Taxila chapter APFMA on Monday with its Punjab chapter chairman Ch Mohammad Javed in the chair.

The association was of the view that the imposition of sales tax on flour would directly affect people.

The flour millers threatened to observe strike on July 17 (Wednesday) if GST was not withdrawn.

Later, talking to newsmen the flour millers claimed the government had amended Finance Act 2019-20 to insert the levy on flour and other byproducts.

“Unless the government officially issues clear notification about withdrawal of GST on wheat flour and its byproducts, we will go ahead with our plan to observe the strike,” they asserted.

They said food items were exempted from taxes around the world but the present government had removed wheat flour and byproducts from schedule six and added them in schedule eight, making them liable to GST.

The Pakistan Flour Mills Association local chapter’s leaders have demanded the government amend the Finance Act to rectify such changes immediately.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2019