Traders | Pakistan

MUZAFFARABAD: Traders and transporters in Muzaffarabad division announced on Saturday that markets and public transport would resume normal operations from Sunday after the administration assured them of security and uninterrupted fuel supplies, signalling the first major break in the shutdown observed during the ongoing agitation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). At a joint press conference at Central Press Club, representatives of traders’ bodies and the transporters’ union also distanced themselves from the recently proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). They alleged that the movement, which they had initially backed over public issues such as subsidised electricity and flour, had deviated from its original objectives after June 9 and was now pursuing a political and constitutional agenda beyond the mandate of traders and transporters. The regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over the past month over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in th...

ISLAMABAD: Traders’ coalition on Saturday demanded that the turnover tax be reduced to 0.5 per cent ahead of the upcoming federal budget, citing economic difficulties. Speaking at a news conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad, All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran and Traders Action Committee President Ajmal Baloch said the proposed turnover tax scheme was an excellent initiative that would free traders from “corruption and blackmail”. He appreciated the efforts of the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani and his team for introducing reforms in tax collection. “For the first time, serious negotiations were held with representatives of small traders, which largely proved successful after nearly one and a half months of discussions,” Baloch said. He said that if the government implemented the easy tax scheme, it would not only boost tax collection but also protect traders from difficulties created by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). “If the scheme is approved and included in a long-term...