Islamabad: Representatives of the top businesses in the
country have demanded tax refunds and the resumption of goods transportation
services, according to a news source. As per the publication, they made these
demands in a meeting with the Advisor to PM on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh
and Advisor to PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood.
The business delegates requested the government to help resolve the liquidity crunch through a number of concessions.
Reportedly, the meeting took place via video conferencing,
and some of the county’s top businessmen were present on the occasion. These included
Mian M. Mansha, Tariq Saigol, Ali Jameel, Dr Waqar Massod Khan, Shahzad Saleem,
Shahid Hussein, Ali Habib, Bashir Ali Muhammad, Almas Hyderm Fawad Anwer,
Shahid Soorty, Saqib Sherazi, Tariq Habib, and senior officials from the
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the ministries of finance and commerce.
The businessmen took the opportunity to also asked the government to control the currency, as depreciation was exacerbating issues with managing input costs. They presented a list of problems, along with their immediate resolutions to the government for further action.
The delegation assured that they would not go for
retrenchment immediately, and would be able to provide salaries for one month
despite their businesses being closed. However, they added that if this
lockdown continued, then they would require further government assistance; with
more concessions on principle and loan mark-ups against them. They also
committed to taking care of their daily wagers with government assistance and
fulfil their social responsibility. The PM’s advisors assured them of their
full support in these difficult times, and expressed their hope that Pakistan’s
export sector would improve once the COVID-19 situation settled down.
