Traders rejected the new advance tax scheme

Islamabad: Traders rejected the new advance tax scheme introduced by the government and demanded the FBR to withdraw its decision.

President of All Pakistan Anjuman Tajran Ajmal Baloch while holding a press conference along with other business leaders has said that FBR has issued SRO in the name of ‘Tajer Dost’ whose number is 420 which is the number of traders. They want to prove the community as thieves.

He said that the business community across the country rejects the Trader-Friendly SRO and also the SRO of Point of Sale Devices on the businesses of small traders, as many tax-paying traders pay ten percent on electricity bills every month. Pay advance tax, the new SRO is tantamount to further squeezing the tax payers.

The business leaders said that the business community wants to pay tax but the method of collection is not correct. It is not true that the government says that fixed tax does not increase the net.

Ajmal Baloch further said that if the tax is fixed on the small traders, a large tax will be collected. He also said that the FBR’s decision to install POS at small shops in the streets is a complete abuse.

He said that this will further increase the corruption in FBR, FBR officials are receiving bribes from businessmen in the name of the device, but no mechanism to stop corruption has been made till date.

Ajmal Baloch addressed the Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif and said that he should order the FBR to consult the business representatives before implementing the new law, and the business community should not be forced to protest if it does not do so. If it goes, they will announce the protest after Eid.