SIALKOT: Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry Present Fazal Jilani strongly condemned the eight percent turnover services tax imposed by the government on cargo agents and freight forwarders. He termed this tax as a cruel and unjust decision of the government.
He said that it is quite ironic that the government had implemented 8 percent services tax on the cargo agents and had left them in dire financial crisis as they were already paying 12 percent services tax. He said that this extra tax would ultimately disturb the pre-burdened business community. Mr. Fazal Jilani expressed his concern that the cargo agents would be forced to charge the extra amount from the exporters which would in turn increase their cost and hamper the dwindling exports which are already facing issue like pending sales tax/duty drawback refunds and Infrastructure Development Cess on imports by Punjab and Sindh Government.
Fazal Jilani extended full support to Air Cargo Agents Association of Pakistan (ACAP) and Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association (PIFFA) and said that Sialkot Industry stand by ACAP and PIFFA in their protest.
He said that unfortunately, such unjustified and harsh taxes are totally against the vision of the Prime Minister to promote business and exports. He stressed that such anti-export and anti-business steps would ruin the export industry especially the industry of Sialkot. President SCCI appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Nawaz sharif to kindly intervene for withdrawal of this tax immediately.
