KARACHI: At least 388 unlicensed restaurants in Karachi owe Rs 150 million to the government under the head of taxes while the recovery process of all such dues will be initiated soon, said Sindh Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro. He stated this while talking to the members of Pakistan Hotels Association (PHA) at a local hotel on Wednesday. Minister categorically said that the dues would be recovered by hook or by crook. He listened to the problems being faced by the PHA including high bed taxes, high duties on import of equipments for hotels and demanded declaration of tourism as an industry.
Minister vowed to consider a proposal mooted by PHA that suggested for devising a policy to make bound all entrepreneurs to first get No Objection Certificate (NOC) from PHA before the construction of any hotel and restaurant so that Hotels Association would be responsible to deal with all problems including the non-payment of taxes. Minister suggested the members of PHA to invest in Gorakh Hill, a tourism site in the north-west of Sindh. Members of PHA said they would go for the investment if all means of communications were provided to them including proper infrastructure and land. – DailyTimes
