ISLAMABAD: The business community of Islamabad has agreed to go on a shutter down strike on August 3, 2015 against the imposition of 0.3 percent withholding tax on bank transactions.
The consensus decision was announced by Chairman Joint Traders Action Committee, Abdul Rauf Alam, during a meeting of the business community at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The traders vowed that they would not accept forced collection of withholding tax on banking transactions and called upon the government to immediately withdraw 0.3 percent WHT on banking transactions of Rs 50,000 and more per day. They said that government should avoid coercive measures for tax collection and make efforts to expand tax net in consultation with all stakeholders including business leaders of the country.
ICCI President Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, Senior Vice President M. Shakeel Munir and Vice President M. Ashfaq Hussain Chatha, besides Kamran Abbasi, President Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders, Kashif Chaudhry, President Anjuman-e-Tijaran Islamabad, Ajmal Baloch President All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tijaran, Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi President Jinnah Super Market, Khalid Javed and Mian Shaukat Masud former Presidents ICCI, Mian Akram Farid Vice President FPCCI, Khalid Iqbal Malik, Malik Sohail Hussain Chief Coordinator FPCCI, presidents and general secretaries of local markets and a large number of business community was present at the occasion.
The meeting was called to discuss one point agenda i.e. to develop consensus on the date of strike call. The two dates viz. August 1and August 5, 2015 were discussed for strike call, but after thorough discussion, the house authorized Abdul Rauf Alam, Chairman, Joint Traders Action Committee to fix one date for strike call who announced August 3, 2015 for shutter down strike call and all traders agreed to go for complete shutter down on 3rd August 2018.
Speaking at the occasion, Abdul Rauf Alam Chairman Joint Traders Action Committee, Muzzamil Hussain Sabri President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other business leaders stressed that traders should maintain unity in their ranks because unity was the best approach to get the business community’s problems resolved and to send strong message to the government.
