ICCI urges MCI to withdraw massive hike in taxes

Islamabad, February 19, 2020 (PPI-OT):Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) said that MCI has proposed massive hike in taxes ranging from Rs.20,000 to Rs.300,000 on businesses without following legal process, which was unjustified and called upon it to immediately withdraw this proposal as it was not acceptable to the business community. He said this while addressing a meeting of ICCI CDA Committee held under the chair of Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi, Convener. Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President, Saif ur Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI, Zubair Ahmed Malik, Khalid Iqbal Malik, Tariq Sadiq, Mian Shaukat Masud, Zafar Bakhtawari, Zahid Maqbool, Ahmed Hassan Moughal, Ch. Waheed ud Din, Nasir Qureshi, Muhammad Aslam Khokhar, Khalid Chaudhry, Tahir Ayub, Muhammad Ali Mirza and Ahmed Khan were in the meeting.

Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that for making any increase in civic taxes, the proposal was advertised in print media and public hearing was arranged, but MCI has proposed massive hike in taxes without following this legal procedure, therefore, it should withdraw this proposal immediately to save businesses from further troubles. He said that trade license was issued for eatable items, but MCI has issued licenses to all businesses, which was unjustified and should be withdrawn. He said that Kahuta Industrial Triangle was playing important role in promoting exports, but CDA has totally ignored this industrial estate due to which industrialists were facing problems. He urged that CDA should focus on better development of Kahuta industrial area to facilitate industry to flourish.

Chairing the meeting, Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi, Convener, ICCI CDA Committee said that for the last many years, CDA has not done any development works in markets and industrial areas due to which condition of these areas have deteriorated. He said that broken footpaths and roads, lack of parking facility, non-functional street lights, choked sewerage systems and unsatisfactory sanitation arrangements were the major issues of markets.

He said that despite repeated demands of business community, CDA and MCI were unmoved to resolve their key issues due to which business activities were suffering. He said that if CDA and MCI did not take measures to address issues, a consensus future line of action in consultation with markets associations and Islamabad Industrial Association would be finalized taken against CDA and MCI and these civic bodies would be fully responsible for any consequences.

Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President, Saif ur Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI and others also spoke at the occasion. They said that internal tussle between CDA and MCI was creating problems for business community and citizens. They said that CDA was blaming Mayor for hike in taxes while Member Engineering CDA was blamed for issuance of notification of increase in trade license fee. They urged that government should appoint a regular head of CDA and called for urgent withdrawal of exorbitant hike in taxes by MCI.

For more information, contact:
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI)
Chamber House, Aiwan-e-Sanat-o-Tijarat Road,
Mauve Area, G-8/1, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-2250526, 2253145, 8432676
Fax: +92-51-2252950
Email: icci@brain.net.pk, info@icci.com.pk
Website: www.icci.com.pk