GUJRAT: Local trade and industry representatives will formally raise their issues with the Federal Minister for Finance Abul Hafeez Sheikh in Islamabad on Monday (today) as tension between the Gujrat region of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials and the industry persists over tax issues.

It is learnt the meeting of Gujrat-based businessmen with the minister has been arranged by senior PML-Q leader MNA Chaudhry Moonis Elahi who will also accompany the delegation of electric fan, pottery and furniture industries of Gujrat.

The delegation will first reach the Islamabad residence of PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and will apprise him of their concerns.

Though the row between the electric fan industry and the Gujrat region FBR commissioner has been going on for the last couple of months, it worsened on Thursday last when a verbal clash erupted between the FBR deputy commissioner and some local businessmen at the Gujrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GtCCI) soon after the departure of chief commissioner, FBR’s Sialkot Zone, Tariq Chaudhary, who had come here to resolve the issues.

The tension between the two sides is yet to ease although they had already reached an agreement over the general sales tax issue and its implementation.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2020