MANSEHRA: Mine leaseholders and truckers on Thursday protested the imposition of tax on the stones transported out of Oghi.
They warned they would take the tehsil government to the court of law for the illegal ‘mine stones for development tax.’
The Oghi tehsil government had imposed the ‘mine stones for development tax’ on June 1, 2016, and put up a barrier in Galli
Badral area before tasking three officials with collecting it at the barrier.
However, truckers loaded with stones dug out from remote parts of Oghi didn’t pay the tax and parked the trucks on Galli Badral-Mansehra road in protest.
Frontier Mines Owners Association provincial president Sherbandi Khan told protesters in Galli Badral area of Oghi that mine leaseholders had decided not to be pay the tax as only the provincial government was authorised to tax mines or the transportation of the stones extracted from them.
“We will challenge the taxation in the Peshawar High Court,” he said.
Mr. Marwat said mine leaseholders would observer a strike across the province against the tax.
He said there were over 250,000 mine owners across the province including over 6,000 in Hazara, and if the tax could lead to the collapse of the mining industry.
“The new taxation could lead to the joblessness of over 1,000 workers attached to the mining industry in Oghi,” he said.
Mr. Marwat said if mine leaseholders went on strike, the government, which earned over Rs2.5 billion annually from mining sector, would suffer.
“The mine leaseholders pay Rs1.5 billion taxes to the government in Hazara division and therefore, new tax shouldn’t be imposed by the tehsil government,” he said.
Tehsil nazim Raja Bashir, who also showed up, told reporters that the tax was imposed under Section 157 of the Local Government Act 2013 and if anybody had any reservations, he should move the court against it.
“Our roads are destroyed due to the transportation of mines from here to other parts of country and therefore, we imposed this tax to ensure their repairs and meeting other expenses,” he said.
They warned they would take the tehsil government to the court of law for the illegal ‘mine stones for development tax.’
The Oghi tehsil government had imposed the ‘mine stones for development tax’ on June 1, 2016, and put up a barrier in Galli
Badral area before tasking three officials with collecting it at the barrier.
However, truckers loaded with stones dug out from remote parts of Oghi didn’t pay the tax and parked the trucks on Galli Badral-Mansehra road in protest.
Frontier Mines Owners Association provincial president Sherbandi Khan told protesters in Galli Badral area of Oghi that mine leaseholders had decided not to be pay the tax as only the provincial government was authorised to tax mines or the transportation of the stones extracted from them.
“We will challenge the taxation in the Peshawar High Court,” he said.
Mr. Marwat said mine leaseholders would observer a strike across the province against the tax.
He said there were over 250,000 mine owners across the province including over 6,000 in Hazara, and if the tax could lead to the collapse of the mining industry.
“The new taxation could lead to the joblessness of over 1,000 workers attached to the mining industry in Oghi,” he said.
Mr. Marwat said if mine leaseholders went on strike, the government, which earned over Rs2.5 billion annually from mining sector, would suffer.
“The mine leaseholders pay Rs1.5 billion taxes to the government in Hazara division and therefore, new tax shouldn’t be imposed by the tehsil government,” he said.
Tehsil nazim Raja Bashir, who also showed up, told reporters that the tax was imposed under Section 157 of the Local Government Act 2013 and if anybody had any reservations, he should move the court against it.
“Our roads are destroyed due to the transportation of mines from here to other parts of country and therefore, we imposed this tax to ensure their repairs and meeting other expenses,” he said.
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