PESHAWAR: Industrialists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have demanded that the provincial government immediately abolish while expressing property tax from two industrial estates in Peshawar, which they lamented was double taxation.
They raised reservations and issues in a meeting chaired by Industrialists Association Peshawar (IAP) President, Malik Imran Ishaq, during the visit of Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Industries, Abdul Karim Khan, to the Industrial Estate Hayatabad Peshawar here on Tuesday.
KPEZD&MC CEO Javed Khattak, IAP Vice President Ghulam Mohiyaddin, SCCI Vice President Junaid Altaf, FPCCI former president Ghazanfar Bilour, IAP executive members Malik Niaz Ahmad and Sajjad Zaheer, IAP Chairman Standing Committee on Legal Affairs Riaz Arshad, IAP Chairman Standing Committee on Finance Haris Mufti, KPEZDMC CFP Shahid, Hayatabad Industrial Estate Peshawar Estate Manager Sajid Nawaz Khattak, IAP Secretary General Wasiullah Khan and Deputy Secretary Musatiq Ahsan were present during the meeting.
The participants of the meeting also urged the KP government to review its decision regarding fixation of minimum wage for industrial workers and revise it as per available resources and capacity in the province and expressed anguish over the increase of ground rent in industrial estates by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZD&MC), saying that the area was not used for commercial purposes rather for production activities, therefore the increase should be revised.
Despite the payment of demand note for bifurcation of electricity feeders to PESCO, industrialists voiced concern over the slow pace on work and changes in clauses of the provincial finance bill 2021-22 (FY22), asking the KP government to immediately address their reservations in this regard.
“The incentives announced by the provincial government in the industrial policy, 2016, should be given to us now,” they said, demanding the issuance of an no-objection certificate (NOC) to the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) through Pakistan Railways for allowing construction to entrance roads to Hayatabad Industrial Estate which adjacent to Kharkhano Market.
They also stressed the need of maintaining old tube wells and construction of new tube wells in industrial estates and existing tube wells should be converted to solar systems. They demanded the renewal lease of commercial plazas and payment of outstanding dues against different relevant government departments.
Further, they condemned the collection of heavy taxes by the town municipality despite having stickers and companies’ names on vehicles.
Special Assistant to CM, Abdul Karim, while speaking on the occasion assured that the issue of property tax will be raised with the provincial excise and taxation department.
He promised the industrialists would be consulted regarding the increase in minimum wage of industrial workers and the current increase in wage of Rs21, 000 would be revised.
Furthermore, he assured that issues pertaining to collection of heavy taxes by town municipality, property tax and others would be addressed amicably.
Later, the CM’s special aide inaugurated a tree plantation drive by planting a sapling in a ground of the Hayatabad Industrial Estate.
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