PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has resented the Federal Board of Revenue’s raids on small industrial units situated on Kohat Road in Peshawar and asked the government to widen the tax net instead of harassing taxpayers in the garb of tax collection.

Chairing a meeting of industrialists and traders on the chamber’s premises here on Thursday, SCCI president Maqsood Anwar Pervez said the business community was ready to extend full support to the government for the collection of taxes but it would not let anyone harass investors in the province.

Earlier, a delegation of the owners of small industries led by Small Industrial Estate Association, Kohat Road, president Wahid Arif Awan and comprising Dr Nasir, Haji Moalim Khan, Haji Dr Faisal, Abdullah, Habibullah, Noor Mohammad, Toor Khan and Mansoor Ahmad informed the SCCI chief about the raids conducted by the FBR’s regional tax office.

The visitors alleged that the RTO teams harassed small manufactures for the collection of sales tax and imposition of 17 per cent sales tax and over issues relating to small arms industries.

They resented a ban on the entry of loaded vehicles to the main Kohat Road during daytime and said the traffic department’s move would lead to the closure of industrial units in Peshawar.

Demands one-window facility for taxpayers

The visitors said industrialists regularly paid taxes but they were harassed in the name of tax collection, so the government should step in to immediately stop the harassment of small manufacturers and imposition of heavy fines on them. Mr Anwar told them that the SCCI would take up their issues with the relevant departments in an efficient way.

He asked the government to devise business-friendly policies and take pragmatic steps to facilitate business community. The SCCI chief said business community wanted to pay all taxes but the method adopted by the FBR and the organisations overseen by it for the collection of levies was unacceptable.

He said the business persons were opposed to tax evasion and non-filing of tax returns but they didn’t accept the act of calling real taxpayers tax evaders. Mr Anwar suggested that the FBR introduce one-window operation for the collection of multiple taxes to remove the grievances of business community and enhance the government revenue.

“Instead of harassing business persons under the guise of tax collection, the federal and provincial governments should consult the relevant organisations on developing an effective strategy for the purpose,” he said.

The SCCI chief said the taxpayers enormously contributed to the national economy by regularly paying taxes but it was completely unjust to call them tax evaders to hide the failure of the relevant departments.

He warned that such tactics would discourage the genuine taxpayers and create a gulf between government and business community with the economy being the ultimate sufferer.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2020