President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh has stated that under Tajir Dost Scheme, small shopkeepers and traders were being served notices to submit hefty tax of Rs60,000 every month which was not affordable at all for any shopkeeper, hence, the FBR must be directed to immediately withdraw all the notices whereas the implementation of Tajir Dost Scheme must also be deferred for a period of at least three months.
In a statement issued, President KCCI said, ‘It seems that the tax officials are trying to make Tajir Dost Scheme a failure as notices are being served to everyone including registered and unregistered individuals. Although it was assured that a mere tax of not more than Rs1,000 to Rs1,200 would be taken for small shopkeepers but it wasn’t happening at all as everyone has been served notices to submit the unbearably high tax of Rs60,000/- which most of the shopkeepers find impossible to bear.’
He stressed that Tajir Dost Scheme, which is marred with serious flaws, needs to be revisited in consultation with all stakeholders so that the perturbed shopkeepers, who were already battling hard for survival in the ongoing era of inflation, could be saved from getting into further disaster.
Iftikhar Sheikh said that the inflation triggered by exorbitantly high utility tariffs has already created a situation wherein the shopkeepers were hardly able to earn their bread and butter. ‘In this scenario, the demand to submit excessively high tax of Rs60,000/- every month would leave no other choice for shopkeepers but to close down their shops forever which would create more problems for the public and the economy’, he added.
He also noted that the tax collection authority has issued notices to shopkeepers of various markets regardless of considering whether the individual was a registered or unregistered person which has triggered a lot of anxiety. ‘We are totally against the unjust demand for such a hefty tax which should neither be applied to registered nor to unregistered persons.’
He appealed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to realize the hardships being faced by shopkeepers whose businesses have already been suffering badly because of weakening purchasing power of common man and the inflation, hence, the FBR must be immediately refrained from demanding such an unrealistic tax.
Iftikhar Sheikh reiterated that the Karachi Chamber totally rejects all the actions being taken under Tajir Dost Scheme which is not friendly at all, therefore, its implementation must be postponed until it is actually made a friendly scheme after consultation with business community.
