The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) continues its strike against the newly imposed withholding tax, with hundreds of mills across the country remaining closed for the second day. The strike has halted wheat grinding and flour supply, raising concerns about a potential shortage.
The federal government’s imposition of a 5.5% withholding tax on different stages of the supply chain has made the product more expensive, according to PFMA leaders. Flour mills in several cities, including Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Jhelum, Kamalia, Sargodha, and Toba Tek Singh, have been shut down, stopping the supply of staple food.
PFMA demands the lifting of the withholding tax, warning that it will increase the price of flour and burden the masses. The association’s chairman, Asim Raza, clarified that the strike is not intended to trouble the masses or confront the government but seeks to exempt the flour milling sector from being a withholding tax agent.
