ABBOTTABAD, Aug 9: Restaurant and hotel owners of Galayt have demanded that the excise tax on the hotel industry, which, they said, was withdrawn by Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan’s government, should be waived.

A meeting of Anjuman-i-Taajran, Galyat, presided over by Sardar Jeenda Khan at Nathiagali, was held here on Friday. The meeting was attended by restaurant and hotel owners of Donga Gali, Changala Gali and Ayubia.

The meeting observed that the previous provincial government had given exemption to the tourists from the excise duty, as the hotel business ran for two or three months only.

Sardar Jeenda said recently the excise department served notices on the hoteliers for depositing taxes, which they termed unjustified.

The participants observed that the hotel industry was already in crisis for various reasons, specially due to water shortage and poor lighting system in the hotels and restaurants.

They demanded both of the provincial and federal governments to exempt the tourist spots and hotel industry from paying taxes.