KOHAT: The excise, taxation and narcotics control department officials on Saturday sealed 11 shops of chronic tax defaulters, and issued warning letters to others for getting registered with the Federal Board of Revenue.

Excise and taxation officer Arshad Hameed along with his team members conducted an audit of the accounts of shops on Rawalpindi, Bannu and Hangu roads and the main bazaar, and directed the shops’ owners to keep up-to-date records of sales and purchase to avoid legal action and heavy fines.

Those who had no account books were warned to prepare them as soon as possible and become filers. They were directed to submit tax statements regularly before September every year because it was their national duty to strengthen the country’s economy.

Mr Hameed said the operation was carried out on the directives of the secretary and director general of the excise and taxation department.

District excise officer Mubarak said if the business community realised their responsibility the country could be rid of taking huge foreign loans to be returned with hefty interests.

WHEAT PROCUREMENT: Hangu deputy commissioner Haider Hussain has directed the officials concerned to start procurement of wheat for mills to have sufficient flour stocks according to the needs of the district.

He issued the directives while chairing a high-level meeting at his office the other day.

Mr Hussain directed the district food controller, deputy director of agriculture and other stakeholders to buy wheat at the government-notified rate from the farmers so that they could get good price for their hard work.

MEETING: A review meeting of the district vigilance committee chaired by deputy commissioner Dr Azmatullah Wazir here the other day decided to devise a joint strategy for taking strict legal action against the businesses involved in child labour.

The participants pondered over ways and means to discourage child labour and human trafficking.

The participants noted that in most cases, mothers sent their children out for labour to earn a living for the family after the death of their bread earners.

Representatives of police, social welfare and women empowerment department and child protection bureau attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2024