KOHAT: The business community here has resented duplication of taxes and licence fee by different departments for imposing similar requirements and demanded a single taxation mechanism by one organisation.

Secretary general of Tajir Action Committee, Abid Khan, told this correspondent that they had brought the matter into the notice of administration, but to no avail.

He said that the traders union in a meeting with tehsil nazim Malik Taimoor told him that presently the tourism, health, food authority and local administration officials were checking hygiene and prices and issuing licences for two years.

He alleged that the launch of food authority was a conspiracy by the multinational companies to discourage local producers and manufacturers.

The traders leader said that licence restrictions and taxes were levied on groceries, ice cream, bakeries, open milk and yogurt sellers, spices, fruit, vegetables, etc while fines ranging from Rs500 to Rs25,000 were imposed which was an injustice with the small businessmen.

He said that the local administration had the powers to check, fine and seal shops and other businesses, and the same exercise was repeated by other similar departments which could not be justified.

When contacted, deputy director of food authority, Kamran Yousufzai, said that the hygiene laws were made in the West in late 19th century, but they were implementing them here now. He said that the people would get accustomed to the requirements of selling food items with the passage of time.

CONGREGATION: Brisk business activity is being witnessed in Kohat as thousands of disciples of late Hazrat Khwaja Shah, known as Zinda Pir, thronged the three-day congregation at Ghamkol Sharif here.

The business community has buckled up for the demands of people who largely buy dry fruit, foreign crockery, blankets and other items.

The grandson of the Pir has arranged free food and lodging for the devotees, while local businessmen have also set up hundreds of temporary shops offering a variety of food items. Due to rush of people, separate portions for VIPs and common visitors were set up at Ghamkol Sharif.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2018