GUJRAT, March 23: The Gujrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday opposed the imposition of flood surcharge tax and described it as the federal government’s fatal move for the business community.

Speaking at Meet-the-Press programme, GTCCI President Irfan Yousuf and vice-president Nasir Javed Butt stressed that the government should expand its tax net by bringing the agricultural sector into it rather than imposing new taxes at a time when the manufacturing sector had been facing difficulties in meeting their production targets due to electricity and gas shortages.

They said the government also was least interested in resolving the energy issue.

They also called upon the authorities concerned to establish a branch of the State Bank of Pakistan and an office of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan in the industrial city of Gujrat which had been contributing to the growth of the national economy.

The GTCCI was going to hold a five-day industrial exhibition at the Zahoor Elahi Stadium from April 22 to 26, Mr Yousuf said.

DDOR transferred: Commissioner Saeed Wahla on Wednesday transferred Deputy District Officer (Revenue) Rao Pervez Akhtar and directed him to report to the Commissioner’s Office.

Sources in the district administration told Dawn that DDOR Rao Pervez had been transferred due to his active participation in the ongoing agitation of the Provincial Civil Service officers in Punjab.

Mr Rao’s office, they said, had become a hub of the activities of the PCS Officers’ Association. The Punjab government had already stopped him from attending the mandatory training course for the promotion from grade 17 to 18 as penalty, they said.

District Coordination Officer Nawazish Ali had reported to the commissioner and the provincial government higher-ups about the activities of the Gujrat DDOR.The PCS officers have been observing strike for the last three days in Gujrat.