The business community of Pakistan is striving hard to survive in these very challenging and difficult times due to the poor economic policies of the government and now the levying of 15 percent flood relief surcharge further burdens to the business community and salaried people. The President of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI), Mahfooz Elahi said that in the current difficult circumstances business community was running the wheel of the economy but imposition of exorbitant Flood Relief Tax and 2.5 percent Federal excise were unjustified.

The business community has already been contributing great deal to help the flood affectees and are still providing support but forceful imposition of flood tax would increase the distrust on the government and gives impetus to the policy of milking the same cows, he opinioned.

Elahi also said that the flood tax is the worst of its kind, imposing Flood Tax to cover the shortfall in revenues is inappropriate and unacceptable, where business people and working class is are already burdened with heavy taxes. Government should reduce its non-development expenditures rather than imposing such unjustified taxes, which will have a disastrous impact on the already ailing economy, he maintained.

President ICCI was of the view that tax department should advice tax friendly policies instead of following the policy of unjustified and forceful implementation of taxes.

Expressing his concern over flood tax imposition, Elahi urged the government to adopt pro-people policies and streamline the working of public sector enterprises and should take measures to broaden tax base, whereas not to overburden the people, who are already under an extreme stress because of high inflation and increase of electricity, gas, petroleum and food prices.

Mahfooz Elahi said that last year with the support of the business community, tax targets were achieved and this year FBR seems to adopt negative tactics to generate revenues.

He said that government must review and implement acceptable options to increase the tax revenues and also tax base. The government should implement policies where know sources of revenue are tapped and not to impose taxes on the existing tax payers.