KARACHI: Livestock traders demand lifting of Eid taxes
KARACHI, Dec 8: Protesting against the various taxes that have been in place on cattle under different heads for years, traders have demanded of the city government to review the strategy of revenue generation through the imposition of more duties and provide relief to the common man.
Livestock Traders’ Welfare Association representative Lateef Qureshi said that the recently imposed ‘Eid special tax’ at the livestock market of Malir had added to the woes of cattle traders, already burdened by different taxes. This market, he said, was one of the oldest places for animal trading and there was no logic behind the imposition of another tax when traders were not being provided with any facility.
“The land belongs to the Evacuee Property Trust Board while traders pay rent for any makeshift settlement. Also, they pay Rs10 and Rs20 as entry fee per small and big animals respectively throughout the year. Recently, the town nazim has imposed Rs75 and Rs250 per small and big animals respectively on the pretext of Eid”, he said, adding that this happened last year too, but the tax was withdrawn after protests.
The tax, he claimed, had been imposed only in Malir while the other regular livestock market in Landhi was exempted. About the various taxes which cattle traders had to pay, he said that Rs200 to Rs500 per big animal while Rs30 to Rs70 per small animal was paid by the seller as well as the purchaser under the head of sales and purchase tax at the time of transaction in the Punjab and Sindh markets. Later, upon reaching the entry points of Karachi, traders paid Rs150 on all big animals, although, he said, the tax was meant for only milch animals.
“The tax, called license fee for keeping milch animals, should be received at dairy farms for services provided by the government’s veterinary department. But, it’s received from traders of all big animals before they enter Karachi”, Mr Qureshi said, adding that the fact that it was received in Nooriabad, district Jamshoro, also created problems for traders who couldn’t register their protest with the police.
“We are told to register our complaint in Karachi as this tax is imposed by the city government. Most traders, being illiterate, don’t bother to pursue the matter and prefer to pay”, he said, claiming that traders were harassed by the police, too, who extorted money on different pretexts.
Earlier, he said, the CDGK was also taking Rs50 as vaccination charges, along with the license fee for milch animals, without providing any facility for vaccination. The case went to court, which recently gave a verdict in the traders’ favour and the vaccination fee was withdrawn.
About 25,000 goats (weekly) and 5,000 big animals (per day) arrive in the city only for slaughter purposes and the city government earns millions of rupees only under the head of entry fee, Mr Qureshi said. These days, traders were paying Rs250 to Rs500 per big and small animals as entry fee at the seasonal army-manned livestock market set up on the Super Highway near Sohrab Goth while charges for a better site at the market were a lot higher.
“These taxes, coupled with the transport fare and the increasing prices of fodder, have a direct impact on meat and milk prices. The government should facilitate animal traders and adopt policies that benefit the common man”, he demanded.
About the Eid special tax in Malir, acting Town Nazim Sharafat Ali said that the tax on sacrificial animals was a measure to generate income and also existed in other towns.
“It is seasonal and imposed through a notification after it is passed by the town council. In return, we are providing cleanliness services in this commercial area through a contractor”, he said.