Millers move to halt flour supply from Thursday

Millers move to halt flour supply
Millers move to halt flour supply from Thursday

TAXILA: Terming the newly-imposed taxes on the flour industry as unjust, members of the flour mill associations have announced that they would observe a countrywide strike and suspend flour supply to markets from Thursday.

The strike call was given by Punjab Flour Mills Association (PFMA) and the decision to announce the strike was made by All Pakistan Flour Mills Association (APFMA).Talking to journalists here on Tuesday, APFMA Vice Chairman Sheikh Mohammad Saeed along with office-bearers of PFMA said the Punjab Flour Mills Associationhad decided to suspend the supply of flour in the market from Thursday to register their protest against the increase in annual turnover tax on the flour industry and imposition of 7pc sales taxon bran by the FederalBoard of Revenue (FBR).

He said flour will not be supplied to markets or to Sahulat bazaars from June 24.

`The flour mills, across the country,will be closed from June 24 and will go on strike indefinitely from June 30 against turnover and sales taxes imposed by the government,` he said, adding that the tax turn over was 0.25pc which had been increased to 400pcin the budgetfor the fiscal year 2021-22.

He said the government had imposed 7pc tax on bran, also known as miller`s bran, adding that this was unjust and unpredictable.