ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will meet the heads of traders’ organisations on Monday (today) to announce concessions and privileges including a fixed tax scheme for them.
A delegation of around 100 representatives including the chiefs of different business organisations will meet Imran Khan at the Prime Minister’s House. FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi, who had been on a 15-day leave due to illness, said in his tweet that he would be attending the meeting.
The PM will formally announce the concessions given to traders community and will seek assistance of tade bodies in complete documentation and tax contribution by trading sector.
— Syed Shabbar Zaidi (@ShabarZaidi) January 11, 2020
Imran Khan will inform the delegation about the steps taken by the government facilitate the business community and the legislation done on the agreement reached in October last year.
The traders, in October last year, went on a two-day countrywide strike to protest measures in the budget designed to document their transactions.
The prime minister is expected to demand the business community to implement the condition of the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) presentation after January 31 to document the country’s economy and cooperate with the registration of new taxpayers.
A simple fixed tax scheme for merchants will also be announced according to which traders with an annual turnover of Rs100 million would have to pay 0.5 percent of the turnover instead of 1.5 percent. Besides, the limit of electricity bill for registration in sales tax register has been increased to Rs1.2 million from Rs600,000.
Similarly, the government will review the rate of turnover tax for sectors with low profit ratio and solve the problems of the jewelers in consultation with their associations.
Committees at regional and central level will be set up for traders which will work in coordination with the FBR for the resolution of their issues.
A special cell headed by the Director Retail has been established at the FBR Islamabad for urgent resolution of traders’ issues. A simple and easy income tax return form in Urdu language will be introduced for registration of new traders and filing of income tax returns. The government would consult with the traders committee for a decision to grant exemption in sales tax to a 1,000 square feet shop.
