In a joint statement, president, TCCI Haji Ghulam Ali, senior vice president, Akbar Khan and vice president Badre Zaman thanked Governor NWFP Lt. Gen. Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah (Retd) for playing major role in this decision of the federal government.
They demanded of the governor that like withdrawal of GST on utility bills, he should also take measures for the withdrawal of the 15 percent Central Excise Duty (CED) to strengthen the industrial units and the two newly announced industrial estates and include ghee manufacturing units of tribal area to join the national stream.
The TCCI office bearers said that the levy of the 15 percent CED on the industrial units of Fata and Pata has brought the industries of the area on the verge of collapse. They called for the declaration of tax free zone area.
They thanked tribal people and their elected public representatives for their support in the abolition of the GST in Malakand Division and pledged that their struggle for the achievement of the goal of abolishing CED from industrial units of Fata/Pata would continue.