With limited room for subsidies and a heavy reliance on indirect taxation, future budget measures may put upward pressure on prices, which will particularly affect urban consumers. photo (file)
RAWALPINDI:
Representatives of 15 major essential commodity and food trade bodies – including vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, groceries, chicken, eggs, bakers, hotels and tandoor unions – announced a major protest demonstration at Liaquat Bagh Chowk at 3 pm on Tuesday (tomorrow).
Addressing a joint press conference at the Rawalpindi Press Club, they rejected what they called excessive taxation, heavy fines, arrests, shop sealing and the “three-day jail, three-day shop closure” policy during Ramazan.
In the second phase, they announced a complete stop on the sale of milk, yogurt, meat, chicken, eggs, groceries, baked goods, roti, flour and sugar in the entire district.
They also threatened to close 300,000 shops across the city and hand over their keys to the Deputy Commissioner as a mark of protest.
The announcement was made by Central Anjuman Tajran President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, President of Hotels, Restaurants and Bakers Association Chaudhry Farooq, President of Merchants Association Saleem Pervez Butt, President of Nanbai Association, Shafiq Qureshi, President of Furniture Association Sardar Saqib, President of Fresh Milk Association, Malik Waqar, President of Poul Abbasi Association, Ra Zaheert, President of Me Abbas Abbasi Association, and President of Poul Abbas Abbasi, Ra Zahas. unions from 50 markets.
They stated that most of the business leaders belong to Pakistan Muslim League-N and members of the National Assembly from the city have failed to resolve their issues.
They alleged that the district administration, Punjab Revenue Authority, Food Department, paraforce, police, judges and Food Authority had made their lives miserable.
They said 17 types of charges had been imposed. The Punjab Revenue Authority, they said, requires traders to collect 16 percent tax from consumers on every sale and submit it. “Why must we perform this duty?” they asked.
They alleged that the deputy commissioner is issuing “fictitious price lists” and now says shopkeepers will face three days in jail and three days of shop sealing for selling at higher prices.
“Are we selling drugs?” they asked adding that they cannot buy an item for Rs100 and sell it for Rs80. They demanded that if the administration wants controlled prices, it must supply goods itself.
They said different departments are conducting raids one after the other and threatening arrests and imprisonment.
They announced that protests would be held in all major neighborhoods of Rawalpindi. They were also against a newly introduced sanitation tax.
