Karachi Traders and Women Protest Against New Tax Scheme and Inflation
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Karachi has issued a notification requiring traders to pay an advance tax of PKR 60,000 per month under the Tajir Dost Scheme. This new tax must be paid by the 15th of each month and aims to simplify tax compliance for traders.
However, this move has raised concerns among business owners, especially those in markets like Liaquatabad and the electronics market. The business community in Karachi has expressed worry over this new financial burden and has decided not to pay the advance tax.
A day earlier, the traders’ community announced a country-wide strike on August 28 against the Tajir Dost Scheme. All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran, along with other traders’ associations, demanded the withdrawal of the scheme, calling it ‘unacceptable’. They are urging the government to reconsider its recent tax policies, including the heavy taxes on the export sector and the recent increase in income tax slabs.
In addition to the traders’ protests, women in Karachi have also protested against soaring inflation and heavy taxes. Members of the Jamaat-e-Islami organized a protest, raising concerns about the impact of high taxes and inflation on their families. They criticized the government’s policies, stating that these have caused immense pain and financial difficulties.
One woman protestor mentioned, ‘The only tragedy in Karachi is heavy taxes and expensive electricity. We are now fed up with these baseless taxes and skyrocketing inflation and are now forced to come out on the streets and raise our voices.’ Another protestor appealed to the government to either reduce inflation or increase salaries and employment opportunities.
Recently, Pakistan struck a 7-billion US dollar IMF loan deal that includes tough measures such as more taxes on electricity prices.
Doubts Revealed
Karachi -: Karachi is a big city in Pakistan, which is a country next to India. It’s like Mumbai in India, very busy and important for business.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) -: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is like the Income Tax Department in India. They collect taxes from people and businesses in Pakistan.
Tajir Dost Scheme -: The Tajir Dost Scheme is a new plan by the FBR where traders, or business people, have to pay a fixed amount of tax every month. ‘Tajir’ means trader in Urdu, and ‘Dost’ means friend.
PKR 60,000 -: PKR stands for Pakistani Rupee, which is the money used in Pakistan. 60,000 PKR is a lot of money, like 30,000 Indian Rupees.
Inflation -: Inflation means that the prices of things like food, clothes, and other items are going up. It makes it harder for people to buy what they need.
Strike -: A strike is when people stop working to show they are unhappy about something. In this case, traders are planning to stop working to protest against the new tax.
