ISLAMABAD, Nov 12: The organizing secretary of Traders Action Committee, Ajmal Baloch, and other office-bearers have criticised the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) for issuing notices to the traders of Rawalpindi and Islamabad pertaining to recovery of sales tax.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Ajmal Baloch said at the time of formation of the new government, bureaucracy in the CBR was engaged in worsening the business climate by issuing notices to the traders.

He recalled the promise made by the sales tax officials that in future they would not issue any notice for the recovery of taxes. He further recalled that during the survey conducted by the army, the shopkeepers were assured that the survey would not be conducted on the basis of recovery of Turnover Tax.

Anwar Baloch appealed to the finance minister Shaukat Aziz to direct the CBR authorities to withdraw notices to the traders and shelve the matter until formation of the new government. He warned that if the notices were not withdrawn, they would stop deducting sales tax.

Meanwhile, the information secretary of the Traders Action Committee, Khalid Chaudhry, said only the traders of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were paying Turnover Tax despite the fact that the survey was undertaken in 13 cities of Pakistan. He urged that either the overturn tax and the sales tax should be imposed throughout the country or it should be annulled also in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the chief organiser of the Traders Action Committee of Islamabad, Raj Abbasi, said if the CBR did not stop harassing the traders, the traders community will take direct action against it.