‘People should be given relief by reducing sales tax on Ghee’
By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD—President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry Ijaz Abbasi showed his great concern on levying of sales tax at Rs. 25Per Liter on edible oil and said that general public should be given relief by reducing the rate of sales tax on edible oil by 50%.
This was stated by the president while inaugurating the office of Dar Motors in G-8 Markaz on Friday. The President ICCI Ijaz Abbasi furthers said that the main reason for the increase in the price of Ghee is increase in sales tax by 100% to 125 % in one year. Besides the increase in the rate of sales tax, the Government has also levied various tax in the shape of surcharge,1% federal excise duty,2% income withholding tax and fixed custom duty of 10200 Rs ton have badly effected the price of ghee & edible oil .
After paying all these taxes one Kg loose packed ghee is available in the market at an average Rs 115 per kg and tin packed one kg at 126 per kg... President ICCI demanded to reduce the taxation on edible oil to avoid another crisis. President appreciated the Government for launching the Bachat Card Scheme for 6.8 million households of the lowest income people through out the country. He further said that this scheme will provide subsidy on five essential items at a price 42 % less than the market price through Utility Stores of which the government will bear an additional subsidy of amounting to Rs. 3.4 billion.
He further said that scheme is designed to provide relief on five basic food commodities, which include Atta, ghee/oil, sugar, rice, and pulse (Dal channa). Ijaz Abbasi added that bachat card scheme had been prepared by the government to help out poorest of the poor, for whom it was very difficult to make both ends meet in the face of today's prevailing price hike wave. President ICCI in this connection demanded the government to provide subsidies on all essential items to all retailers of Pakistan. He further said that utility stores corporation network is not how vast to provide the relief all people particularly which are living in remote areas of Pakistan.