FBR Begs Traders to Discuss Their Demands Before Launching Protest Against Tajir Dost Scheme

Traders will present their new demands before the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on August 27 including withdrawal of fixed monthly tax on shops and retail outlets from August 2024. The traders will meet the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on August 27 before taking any extreme measure of a shutter-down strike on August 28 in protest against the “trader-friendly scheme”. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has asked the traders’ community to have a detailed meeting on August 27 before taking any extreme measure of a shutter-down strike on August 28 in protest against the “trader-friendly scheme”. Chief Coordinator of the Tajir Dost Scheme Naeem Mir told the media that the FBR Member Inland Revenue Operations has contacted the traders’ representatives and offered them to have a meeting on August 27 for the resolution of their issues including tax payments. The meeting is expected to be held at the FBR Headquarters. The FBR will accept all genuine demands of traders including any amendment in the relevant notification of Tajir Dost Scheme, he added. Recently, the Central Organisation of Traders and All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran announced a nationwide shutter-down strike on August 28 in protest against the so-called “trader-friendly scheme” and recent tax policies. Kashif Chaudhry and Ajmal Baloch rejected the scheme, calling it impractical, and demanded its immediate withdrawal. They also called for the removal of withholding taxes imposed on essential items, including pulses and flour. So far, the FBR has registered over 58,000 small traders/new shopkeepers under the Tajir Dost Scheme against the target of 3.2 million.