KARACHI, Aug 19: Acting Chairman of SITE Association of Industry, M. Junaid Nawab, has demanded of the government to bring more National Bank branches on Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU) pool for sales tax and excise duty collection.

In a statement here on Monday, Nawab said authorizing only PNSC building branch to receive taxes has created multiple difficulties for the taxpayers of SITE Area and other parts of the City. He said that the most National Bank branches serve as government treasuries and the taxpayers have been depositing excise duty as well as sales tax into the National Bank in SITE Area for decades.

He said it is true that due to law and order situation in the city carrying millions of rupees to deposit to a far off bank like National Bank, PNSC Building Branch, on M. T. Khan Road, poses great risk both to the cash as well as to the life of the employees who carries the cash.

He demanded that like other government revenue, sales tax should be allowed to be deposited in the National Bank branches that are designated by the State Bank as treasury offices of the government.

Further, he also endorsed the statement of President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Haroon Bari, in which he has urged the Commerce Ministry to remove 5 per cent penalty being charged by the Export Promotion Bureau from exporters for the extension of 70 per cent balance deposit of auction amount of textile products, held on July 16, 2002.—APP