SCCI livid at change in PM’s relief package

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Saturday expressed its concern and resentment over amendments in relief package announced by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani as compensation for business community of the province for losses it suffered due to militancy and terrorism.

The chamber also expressed its opposition to proposed plan of implementing Value Added Tax (VAT) and said any survey for expanding Income Tax base would not be allowed in prevailing circumstances in the province.

Addressing a press conference, president SCCI Riaz Arshad said that the prime minister should take notice of amendments in relief package which was also making the incentives as confusing and non-implementable.

Flanked by other office-bearers of the chamber and prominent business figures including Chairman APTMA NWFP chapter Afnan Aziz, Muhammad Ishaq and Sharafat Ali Mubarik, the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president said there was a wide difference between the package announced by PM and the one unveiled later on.

Now, he continued, the SROs released by federal government in regard with incentives in the relief package have stunned the business community of Frontier because these are very confusing and in contrast with the relief announced by the prime minister.

He said that PM had announced that no sales tax would be enforced on electricity bills in commercial sector of Frontier whereas the bills received even in current month by business community includes sales tax.

Similarly, SCCI chief added, the announcement about waiving off micro loans of small traders amounting up to rupees five hundred million has not been implemented yet.

Riaz said the SROs regarding reduction in bank mark up rates is also so much confusing that even the bankers are unable to understand to implement the order.

Such confusion, he said, has caused panic among bankers who have become aggressive towards businessmen and pressing for early return of loans.

About VAT, Riaz Arshad said government is introducing a new mechanism of collected sale tax and it will also create confusion among the trading community of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Afnan Aziz said the textile sector was the biggest industry in the province and due to export base industry it was exempted from the list of sales tax.

However, he continued, in the revised order the industry has been included in the list of sales tax, surprising the industrialists.

He alleged that some circles in the bureaucracy of the country were hatching a conspiracy to make the PM's relief package unsuccessful. - APP