KARACHI: The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA), Sindh zone, has announced a token strike to be held on June 24 and 25 over its grievance that the government has not withdrawn the 17pc general sales tax (GST) on bran (chokker) announced in the new budget.

PFMA south zone chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yousuf and vice chairman Junaid Aziz made the announcement at a press conference at their office on Tuesday. They called upon the government to revert the turnover tax to the old rate of 0.25pc from 1.25pc as announced in the budget.

They predicted a jump of Rs5 a kilo in flour prices if the 17pc GST on bran was not withdrawn.

All association members would keep their mills shut on June 24 and 25 and suspend supply of flour and bran in markets across the province, they said.

They said that the 17pc GST imposed on bran would put additional burden on consumers.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2021