20000115

First round of

talks with govt on GST

in Lahore soon: Sailya

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Umer Sailya, Chairman, All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries (Apostci) on Friday said that the government has given a positive response to business community's offer of dialogues on general sales tax (GST) issue. The first round of talks between the government and business community will be held at Lahore to set the way for dialogues. Saliya was addressing an Eid Milan party hosted by the Small Traders Karachi Division.

He said that the formal dialogues would take place at Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar, while the final round, in which representatives of all provinces would take part, would be held at Islamabad in which the finance minister would also participate.

He said that in response of the offer of talks by the government the organisation had postponed its agitation, as a gesture of good-will.

He said the ball was now in the government's court and if it did become serious in talks, "we have the right to restart our movement."

He said that Pakistan traders convention would be held in Lahore on February 4, 2000, as per schedule.

He said that the business community is patriotic and believes in settling disputed matter through dialogues, "and we hoped that the GST problem would be solved through dialogues, and the poor people of Pakistan would get rid of GST.

He said imposition of GST would raise a storm of high prices and the people would have to pay extra Rs 150 over the purchases of every thousand rupees if it is imposed.

Sailya alleged that 'secret agencies' of government were tapping his telephones and he had been chased by three different secret agencies of government against his struggle against GST which was a violation of basic human rights.