Protests are unfolding across Pakistan in reaction to the imposition of taxes on various sectors as outlined in the fiscal year 2024-25 budget.
Sources indicate that the Pakistan Merchants Association, representing stationary traders, has announced a potential nationwide strike. Khalid Pervez, the Association’s president, has declared the government’s educational tax unjustifiable and emphasised its unacceptability.
The traders have criticized the government’s economic approach, which juxtaposes lowering essential commodity costs with hiking utility prices, particularly electricity. Pervez highlighted the discrepancy in pricing, where bread is affordable at 16 rupees while electricity is priced at 100 rupees per unit, a strategy they refuse to accept.
During a press conference at the Lahore Press Club, Pervez issued a 10-day ultimatum to the government to withdraw the 14% sales tax levied on stationery. He warned that failure to comply would result in withholding further tax payments, potentially leading to nationwide protests and strikes initiated by traders.
Moreover, the President of Urdu Bazaar, Abu Zhar Ghaffari, and other trade organization representatives have voiced concerns that this tax increase on stationery will escalate the cost of education, impacting affordability.
Pervez has urged merchants throughout the country to halt the acquisition of goods for ten days and only to purchase items not subject to the 14% sales tax as a form of protest against the new fiscal measures.
Furthermore, officials from the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce have expressed their intent not to continue operations, citing unresolved issues with the surge in electricity prices and dealings with Independent Power Producers (IPPs). They warned of the long-term consequences of these agreements, emphasizing that future generations would carry the burden. The traders have already contributed 830 billion rupees in capacity charges, viewing the IPP arrangements as a financial snare for the populace.
