Govt urged to abolish property tax from 2 Peshawar industrial estates

F.P Report

PESHAWAR: Industrialists have expressed grave concern over collection of property tax from two industrial estates in Peshawar, what they termed it as double taxation, which should be abolished immediately.
They urged the provincial 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.
The industrialists also expressed anguish over whopping increase 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 purpose rather for production activities, so the increase should be revised at optimal level.
They raised these reservations and issues in a meeting chaired by President Industrialists Association Peshawar (IAP) Malik Imran Ishaq during the visit of Special Advisor to Chief Minister on Industries, Abdul Karim Khan to the Industrial Estate Hayatabad Peshawar here on Tuesday.
CEO KPEZD&MC, Javed Khattak, IAP vice president Ghulam Mohiyaddin, SCCI vice president Junaid Altaf, former president FPCCI Ghazanfar Bilour, IAP executive members Malik Niaz Ahmad, Sajjad Zaheer, Chairman IAP Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, Riaz Arshad, Chairman IAP Standing Committee on Finance, Haris Mufti, CFP KPEZDMC Shahid, Estate Manager, Hayatabad Industrial Estate Peshawar, Sajid Nawaz Khattak, Secretary General IAP Wasiullah Khan and Deputy Secretary Musatiq Ahsan were present during the meeting.
Despite the payment of demand note for bifurcation of electricity feeders to Pesco, the industrialists voiced concern over slow pace on work and some changes in clauses of provincial finance bill 2021-22, asking the provincial government to address their reservations in this regard immediately.
The incentives announced by provincial government in the previous industrial policy 2016, should be given to industries, they asked, demanding the issuance of No-objection certificate (NOC) to Peshawar Development Authority through Pakistan Railways to allow construction of entrance roads to Hayatabad Industrial Estate adjacent opposite to Kharkhano Market Peshawar.
The industrialists condemned the collection of heavy taxes by the town municipality despite having stickers and companies’ names on vehicles, calling it as completely unjust and unfair, and immediately stopped collection of such illegal taxes forthwith.
They stressed the need of maintaining old tubewells and construction of new tubewells in industrial estates and existing tubewells should be converted to solar systems. They demanded the renewal lease of commercial plazas and payment of outstanding dues against different relevant government departments.
Advisor 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 the issues pertaining to collection of heavy taxes by town municipality, property tax and others would be addressed amicably.
Later, the CM special aide inaugurated a tree plantation drive by planting a sample in a lush green ground of Hayatabad Industrial Estate Peshawar.