ISLAMABAD: A delegation led by President of Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association Islamabad Tariq Saeed met President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari and informed him about the key problems of his sector and emphasised the importance of their quick redress, says a press release.
Addressing the delegation, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Ahsan Bakhtawari said that small pharmacies are facilitating customers in payment through debit/credit card, but FBR have grouped them in Tier-1 Retailers category for heavy taxation due to which they are facing many problems and urged that FBR should remove them from Tier-1 category to ease their difficulties. He said that the chemists and druggists are performing an important national service by providing timely medicines to patients, but like other businesses, the business community of this sector is also facing many problems due to which their business activities are suffering. He stressed that the government should solve the issues of this sector for the convenience of the patients. He said that he is well aware of the problems faced by chemists and druggists and will be their voice from the platform of the Chamber and will highlight them at every relevant forum for redress on priority basis.
President of Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association Islamabad, Tariq Saeed, while speaking on the occasion, said that in view of the sky-high inflation, like other industries and businesses, the chemists and druggist sector is also facing great difficulties. The increase in prices is making it so difficult to buy and sell the raw materials, which is causing shortage of medicines in the market. He strongly demanded that the government should try to solve the problems of this sector on a priority basis to save the patients from problems of shortage of medicines.
Qaiser Masood, Secretary General of Pakistan Chemist and Druggist Association Islamabad, said that due to high inflation, expenses like rent of shops and electricity bills have increased a lot, while the profit margin of chemists is the same and due to this factor business community of this sector is worried. He further said that buying and selling medicines online is not a reliable source and this illegal practice is also affecting the business activities of their sector, so he emphasised that the government should take notice of this practice to save their businesses from further losses.
Arif Yar Khan, Tariq Sheikh, Najeeb Abbasi, Rameez Baig, Chaudhry Sajid, Abdul Aziz, Usman Hafeez, Malik Ashfaq, Babar Kiani and others were among the delegation. Former President of the Chamber and Secretary General of UBG Pakistan Zafar Bakhtawari was also present on the occasion.
