Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The President Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Yakoob H Karim has demanded of the Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to implement its commitment to establish a dry port in Hub, the centre of Balochistan’s trade and industry. In a statement, he reminded of the FBR Chairman Tariq Bajwa’s approval to establish Pakistan’s 13th dry port in Hub to facilitate the industries of Balochistan. He said that the decision by the government had been communicated to the LCCI last February but even almost a year, no work has been initiated on this project. He said that following the completion of Pak-China economic Corridor, the importance of proposed dry port would be increased to manifold. He added that the proposed dry port would not only curb the smuggling in the province but increase the government’s revenue significantly.
Yakoob said that the FBR chairman had also agreed that the inland revenue collected from taxpayers having their business premises at Lasbela District would be accounted for in the revenue generated in Balochistan, irrespective of its collection anywhere in the country and being reported by any methodology by the authorised banks.
The chairman FBR had also agreed to provide total figures of the inland taxes generated from Hub and other parts of Lasbela District, so that the government of Balochistan may assess the potential of tax generation in the area enabling them to provide further infrastructure and incentives for industrial progress in the province.
Member FBR Inland Revenue (Operations) has been given the responsibility of providing the data of the revenue collection from Balochistan.
During the meeting LCCI chief had also raised the issue of inordinate delay in the issuance of sales tax refund cheques even after the issuance of RPOs. Tariq Bajwa agreed that the issuance of refund cheques were being delayed but he would try to reduce the time of issuance of such cheque to reasonable limit. He said that all such commitments should also be implemented in letter and spirit.
Dry Port at Hub which would certainly provide an incentive to the investors and the industries currently operating at Hub and other parts of Balochistan would contribute to the economic progress of Balochistan and its people.