LAHORE: The farming community of Pakistan has strongly protest against the Federal Board of Revenue SRO 563 issued on 29th April 2022, whereby only those farmers can get the tractors at 5 % GST, who will provide copy Pass Book or Land Holding record verified by the concerned Land Revenue Office.
Resultantly, in all other cases, where farmers may not able to show the pass book, 17% Sales Tax will be applicable. On the purchase of tractors.
This new SRO is not practical as it will create problems for the farmers, said Khalid Khokhar, President Pakistan Kissan Ittehad on Saturday.
“Farmers will have to face extra cost and time consuming to get the copy of land records and verified it from the land revenue authority”, Khokhar said.
He added that in case of joint family system, mostly lands are not transferred to the youth, who are doing practical agriculture and buy tractor and farm machinery. So, they have to pay 17% sales tax as they are not land owners.
The SRO does not cover the farmers who are farming on rental and lease lands. Agro-rental-service providers having no lands or purchased farm machinery on bank loan against urban or any other non-agriculture property, he added.
In many areas of the country the land records are not regularly updated. Farmers in this case will pay the extra tax and price, the president PKI said.
The above situation is very upsetting for the farming community as they are already under severe economic pressure due to increase in Agri. Input prices and water shortage.
Therefore, Pakistan Kissan Ittehad would like to request the honorable Prime Minister, Minister for National Food Security, Misinster for Industries and Finance Minister to immediately take notice of this issue and advise the concerned FBR authorities to immediately withdraw this SRO 563.
Moreover, 5 % sales tax rate should be ensured on tractors being key requirement for Agriculture and a source of self-employment for rural youth.
