PESHAWAR: In proposals for the upcoming budget, the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the provincial government to abolish double taxation, especially property tax, ease process of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority audit, reduce ratio of sale tax on services, bring reforms in trade and business-related institutions, abolish the infrastructure development cess on exports, curtail tax and fees of property registry and eliminate “anti-business actions.”

It also called for a business-friendly budget, provision of subsidised SME financing through the Bank of Khyber, pragmatic steps for the ease of doing business, and gas supply to industrial consumers on priority.

The proposals were presented by the SCCI leaders during a meeting with excise and taxation minister Khaleequr Rehman, revenue minister Nazeer, adviser to the government on finance Muzammil Aslam and SACM on industries Abdul Karim Khan here on Thursday.

The participants included SCCI president Fazal Moqeem Khan, senior vice president Abdul Jalil Jan, vice president Shehryar Khan, former presidents Haji Mohammad Afzal, Malik Niaz Ahmad, Fuad Ishaq, Maqsood Anwar Pervez and Faiz Mohammad Faizi, former SVP SCCI Imran Khan Mohmand, WCCI president Rabia Basri, executive members Abbas Fuad Azeem, Aftab Iqbal, Abdul Nasir, Hassan Zahiddin, Ishfaq Ahmad, Junaid Altaf, Sabir Ahmad Bangash, Sajjad Zaheer, Saifullah Khan and Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, senior government officials, IAP president Ayub Zakori, SVP Haris Mufti, former vice president Shuja Mohammad, SCCI secretary general Muqtasid Ahsan, traders, manufacturers, importers and exporters.

Shares budget proposals with government

The chamber leaders asserted the maximised provincial hydel power utilization through early execution of transmission lines and adding 80-85-megawatt electricity into the grid station.

They also called for proactive measures for maintaining the law and order, reducing heavy burden of the provincial taxes and speedily complete work on the Northern Bypass, Ring Road and underpasses at identified locations in the provincial capital.

The SCCI leaders demanded the immediate withdrawal of the recently-introduced Godown Act, 2025, and legislation for institutionalising provincial departments-based on the dispute resolution council mechanism with representation of all relevant departments, stakeholders and business community in the forum.

They urged the provincial government to incorporate their proposals in the upcoming provincial budget.

The SCCI president highlighted the issues of the business community and called for comprehensive reforms and amendments to the relevant laws and policies, and taxation measures to provide maximum relief to the business community in the budget.

He said that the upcoming budget should be made business-friendly and avoid imposing any new tax and incentivising the industries and businesses.

“Our business community wants to pay taxes but double taxation is unbearable,” he said.

The ministers and advisers agreed to the proposals and assured the SCCI leaders and other stakeholders of “appropriate amendments to harsh laws and policies as per the constitutional limits” and incorporating the business community’s suggestions in the budget 2025-26.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2025