PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to withdraw the decision on cess on
exports.
“The provincial government move will not only end exports from the province but also badly affect international flight operations, cargo/shipping services and Pak-Afghan Transit Trade,” said President Fuad Ishaq.
A press release said a meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat a day before where the enforcement of cess on exports from KP was discussed.
The meeting was attended by SCCI President Fuad Ishaq, other office bearers of various
chambers and traders associations.
The SCCI chief rejected the impression that there was an agreement between chambers, exporters and the provincial government to collect 1 percent cess on exports.
The cess will completely end exports from KP, besides flight operations, cargo/shipping services and Pak-Afghan transit would also be hurt, which isn’t beneficial for the national and provincial economy,” said Fuad Ishaq.
He pointed out that the cess was not implemented in any other province of the country, but the KP government had enforced it, which was tantamount to a discriminatory attitude.
The SCCI chief asked the provincial government to withdraw a 2 percent cess that would help increase export trade and business.
Talking about bilateral trade on the occasion, Fuad Ishaq said that under SRO-121, there was no duty or tariff imposed on the transit trade that was carried out from Afghanistan through Pakistan.
Therefore, he said, there is no duty and tariff imposed on the transit trade, and there was no justification for imposing a cess on exports by the provincial government.