LAHORE: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and officials of Federal Board of Revenue have decided to meet with traders today (Monday) to calm them down over imposition of 0.3 per cent withholding tax over all banking transactions as the All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran (APAT) and other traders’ unions have announced countrywide shutter-down strike on August 1.
APAT Central General Secretary Naeem Mir, along with Punjab President Mehboob Sirki, Sindh President Adul Qayyum Qureshi and All Karachi Tajir Ittehad President Jamil Paracha, has left for Islamabad on invitation of the finance minister to hold talks with him.
Meanwhile, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry former vice president Kashif Anwar urged the government to exempt all filers from 0.3 percent withholding tax imposed on all banking transactions, as it would encourage non-filers to come into the tax net and government would not achieve its targets aimed at expansion of tax net.
He warned that if tax on all bank transactions is imposed forcefully by the government, it would not only hamper the trade and economic activities but would also tarnish the image of the government. Kashif Anwar said the government would have to find out an amicable way to the issue of withholding tax on bank transactions in order to ensure a business-friendly atmosphere in the country.
