Trader Organizations Announce To End Strike After Successful Dialogues With Punjab Govt

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jul, 2019 ) :Trader organizations on Thursday announced to end the strike after 7-hour long successful dialogues with the Punjab government, here at Chief Minister's Office.

Leaders of trader organizations, along with Provincial Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal and MPA Nazir Ahmed Chohan, while addressing a press conference said, "The Punjab government has approved all our demands and now there is no justification of strike." They said that markets and shops would now remain open.

Mian Aslam Iqbal while talking on this occasion said that all the genuine demands of the traders had been approved after 7-hour long dialogues. He said the Federal government would be contacted for the solution of some issues.

He said that anti-government trade organizations were propagating that national identity card would be demanded from every customer. It was worth mentioning that this condition was only for the main dealers not for the shopkeepers and customers, he said and added that fixed tax system was being introduced for the sub-dealers. No tax was being imposed on small shopkeepers, he said.

The minister said that government system could not be run without taxes. Those who were able to pay tax were being brought into tax net. He said that CNIC condition was for those who were doing business with mills.

He said that CNIC would not be demanded from the customers who would purchase less than Rs 50,000. A separate tax system would be brought for the jewellery association with their consultation, he added.

Mian Aslam Iqbal said that FBR would not conduct raids on markets neither it would freeze anyone's account.

The minister said the Punjab government had decided not to increase the price of 20kg flour bag and the same would be available at the same old price i.e Rs. 770 and government would give subsidy in this regard. He said the Punjab government was giving subsidy of Rs. 42 billion for providing flour at reasonable rates.

He said that checking the prices of essential commodities was the right of government if it was giving subsidy of billions of rupees for the provision of essential items at reasonable rates.

He said that summary had been sent to the Prime Minister for taking back the tax on ghee. He said that turn over tax on cement, ghee and sugar had also been decreased.

The minister said that sincere efforts were being made by the PTI government for overcoming the economic crisis.

Member provincial assembly Nazir Chohan said that taking traders and small segments of the society along with was the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.