Rawalpindi, (Parliament Times) : President of Rawalpindi Restaurants Caterers Sweets and Bakers Association Mohammad Farooq Chaudhry demanded from the Provincial Minister of Food Bilal Yasin that traders pay taxes as well as fully support them by complying with government measures.Despite this, our business is being severely affected by imposing heavy fines on us.Policies should be formulated keeping in mind the expenses of the restaurants, Our legitimate problems should be solved.Instructions should also be issued to the District Administration of Rawalpindi to compare the rates and facilities of Roti sold between tandoors and restaurants. If our legitimate demands are not accepted, we will be forced to approach the court once again.
President Restaurant Caterers Sweets and Bakers Association Muhammad Farooq Chaudhry said during a meeting with journalists that the association’s Senior Vice President Chaudhry Zahid Mehmood, Deputy General Secretary Hashim Ijaz Butt attended the meeting of the Provincial Price Council.Where in an important meeting with the provincial food minister Bilal Yasin, he was informed about the concerns of the association about the price of Roti and other important issues.President Muhammad Farooq Chaudhry said that in the meeting, reference was also made to the meeting with Director General Industries, Prices Weight and Measures Punjab on the writ petition and court orders filed in Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench.The provincial minister was told that it is not appropriate to compare the rate of bread at the same rate between ovens and restaurants, we provide standard facilities to customers in restaurants.We also Pay other taxes including sales tax.He said that the gas tariff of restaurants is 3900 per mmbtu, while the tariff of tandoor is 700 per mmbtu, which is many times more consumption than tandoor.We are not even given any subsidy by the government while the restaurant has to pay a sales tax of Rs 2.24 per Roti.Apart from electricity, gas, water bills, we pay huge amount in building rents which are hundred times more than the cost of the Tandoors.The administration is misbehaving with us. Illegal fines of up to fifty thousand, one lakh rupees are imposed. We request the platform of the association to investigate these matters.Otherwise we will be forced to go to court again.President Muhammad Farooq Chaudhry said that Provincial Minister for Food Bilal Yasin also referred to his statement in a meeting held at Commissioner Office Faisalabad.In which he said that the fixed price of roti is for Tandoor and not for restaurants as they provide luxury facilities.On this occasion, the provincial minister was requested to formulate policies keeping in mind the expenses of restaurants.The injustice done to us should be resolved .In this regard, instructions should also be issued to the district administration of Rawalpindi to compare the prices of Roti sold between tandoors and restaurants on a factual basis.