Small traders postpone protest call for September 27

ISLAMABAD: The negotiations between the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and traders succeeded and confusions pertaining to the Tax Laws (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 were clarified.

A delegation of elected leadership of small traders led by Kashif Chaudhry, central president of the Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajiran, Pakistan has been in contact with the FBR for the last few days.

The confusions of small traders, especially with reference to the Tax Laws (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 were addressed and on September 26, 2021, the final meeting took place at the FBR headquarters where both the FBR and the traders’ delegation from across Pakistan agreed to postpone the protest.

This was announced by Qaisar Iqbal, Member (IR Operations) FBR, and the central leadership of traders in a joint press conference.

The Member (IR Operations) informed the media that all confusions and misunderstandings of small traders on the Tax Laws (Third Amendment) Ordinance were removed.

He thanked the elected leadership of the traders’ community for their understanding and cooperation and also assured them that all issues regarding tax laws and any other confusion would be resolved by mutual discussions, leaving no space for unfounded propaganda or misinformation spread by irresponsible elements on social media.

Chaudhry on behalf of all the representatives of small traders announced to postpone the protest call scheduled for September 27, 2021.

The Member IR Operations categorically said that POS did not pertain to small traders, while clarifying Section 114B of the Income Tax Ordiance, 2001, the Member IR Operations said that the general public is being misled by vested groups leading to believe that their electricity and gas connections will be disconnected and their mobile phones would be disabled.

He clarified that only those persons who are not appearing on the active taxpayers list (ATL) will face this treatment.

While giving clarification of Sub Section (1A) of Section 235 of the Income Tax, 2001, the Member IR Operations said the change in the rate of advance tax on electricity bills, as introduced in the Tax Laws (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, will not affect small traders nor any other person who is income tax filer.

He said this provision has been introduced for bringing non tax paying ‘Professionals’ in the tax net. He also said this provision will not affect commercial consumers of electricity.

All the trade leaders unanimously announced that they will keep playing their positive role and cooperate with the FBR on vital issues related to tax compliance so that the national economy gets strengthened and the country becomes economically self-reliant.

The small traders’ delegation included Khawaja Shahid Razzaq Sakka, patron-in-chief of Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajiran Pakistan; Anjuman-e-Tajiran Faisalabad president Khawaja Suleman Siddiqui; Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajiran Pakistan chairman Sharjeel Mir; Tanzeem-e-Tajiran Punjab central president; and around two dozen office-bearers of the Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab.