FBR Imposes Service Charges on POS Invoices

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has imposed service charges at a rate of Rs. 1 per invoice issued through all points of sale (POS) to be collected by Tier-1 retailers from customers across the country.

In this connection, the FBR has issued SRO.1279(I)/2021 here on Friday.

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 76 of the Sales Tax Act, 1990, the Federal Board of Revenue, with the approval of the Federal Minister-in-charge, has levied service charges at a rate of one Rupee per invoice issued through all POS integrated with the authority’s computerized system for real-time reporting of sales.

These charges will be collected by Tier-1 retailers and deposited in a designated account along with monthly payment of sales tax and filing of the sales tax return, FBR added.

Source: Pro Pakistani

SPI-based Weekly Inflation Slightly Declines Due to Cheaper Food Items

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended on September 30, 2021, recorded a decrease of 0.10 percent due to a decline in the prices of some food items, according to the weekly data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The food items that contributed to the decrease include tomatoes that marked 12.57 percent decline, onions 6.75 percent, bananas 3.67 percent, wheat flour bag 2.33 percent, sugar 1.73 percent, jaggery 0.92 percent, pulse Moong 0.71 percent, powdered chilies 0.57 percent, and pulse Mash 0.27 percent.

The year-on-year (YoY) trend depicts an increase of 12.97 percent with prices of most of the items increased, mainly electricity for Q1 (57.92 percent), LPG (55.16 percent), vegetable ghee per kilogram (40.40 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5-kg (38.82 percent), cooking oil 5-liter (38.06 percent), mustard oil (37.87 percent), chicken (36.97 percent), chilies powder (34.95 percent), gents sandals (33.37 percent), eggs (25.62 percent) and gents sponge chappal (25.13 percent), while a major decrease was observed in the prices of tomatoes (50.52 percent), pulse Moong (29.75 percent), potatoes (26.69 percent) and onions (21.66 percent).

According to the latest data, the SPI went down from 157.19 percent during the week that ended on September 23, 2021, to 157.04 percent during the week under review. The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs. 17,733, Rs. 17,733 to Rs. 22,888, Rs. 22,889 to Rs. 29,517, Rs. 29,518 to Rs. 44,175 and for above Rs. 44,175 decreased by 0.23 percent, 0.22 percent, 0.18 percent, 0.15 percent, and 0.03 percent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 20 (39.21 percent) items increased, 10 (19.61 percent) items decreased and 21 (41.18 percent) items remained constant, said PBS in weekly SPI data.

The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices include LPG (2.27 percent), potatoes (1.73 percent), garlic (1.61 percent), chicken (0.87 percent), mustard oil (0.73 percent), tea prepared (0.56 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (0.49 percent), eggs (0.39 percent), georgette (0.34 percent), toilet soap (0.11 percent), pulse Masoor (0.09 percent), cooked beef (0.07 percent), beef with bone (0.06 percent), fresh milk (0.04 percent), mutton (0.03 percent), rice Basmati broken (0.03 percent), long cloth 57" Gul Ahmed/al-Karam (0.02 percent), curd (0.02 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5-liter tin each (0.01 percent) and rice irri-6/9 (0.01 percent).

The commodities which recorded a decrease in their prices during the period under review include tomatoes (12.57 percent) onions (6.75 percent0, bananas (3.67 percent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (2.33 percent), sugar (1.73 percent), jaggery (0.92 percent), pulse Moong (0.71 percent), National chilies powder 200-g packet each (0.57 percent), pulse Mash (0.27 percent) and gram (0.26 percent).

Source: Pro Pakistani

Here’s the Pakistan Shaheens Squad for Sri Lanka Tour

Left-handed top-order batter Saud Shakeel will captain future Pakistan hopefuls on the tour of Sri Lanka, which will comprise two four-day fixtures and three 50-over matches in Kandy and Colombo from 28 October to 14 November.

Saud played in three One-Day Internationals against England earlier this summer, while other internationals named in the 19-player squad include Abdullah Shafique (T20I), Arshad Iqbal (T20I), Haider Ali (ODI, T20I), Naseem Shah (Test), Usman Salahuddin (Test and ODI) and Zahid Mahmood (T20I).

To maintain consistency in selection, the selectors have also retained players who have recently been part of the national side but have been unable to break into the playing line-up. These include Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Haris.

With an eye on next year’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022 in the West Indies, the selectors have included in the squad Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s teenage wicketkeeper Salman Khan and top-order batter Qasim Akram of Central Punjab.

Player Support Personnel: Ijaz Ahmed (head coach and team manager), Rao Iftikhar (Assistant coach), Mohtashim Rashid (fielding coach), Mohammad Javed (trainer), Faisal Rai (analyst) and Hafiz Naeem (physiotherapist).

Source: Pro Pakistani

First Pak-China Technical Vocational Institute Inaugurated in Gwadar

The first Pakistan-China technical-vocational institute under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was inaugurated in Gwadar today.

China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong attended the inauguration ceremony through a video link and said that the institute has been completed at a cost of Rs. 10 million in only 20 months.

He said that the institute, which is a sign of 70 years of Pak-China friendship, is equipped with modern machinery to impart knowledge and technical skills to the youth of Balochistan, and of Gwadar in particular.

The ambassador added that the students will be granted scholarships and free accommodation during their training at the institute.

The Chairman of the China Overseas Port Holding Company Zhang Baosheng said that the institute will have an important part in the development of the region.

“Technical institutes play an important role in industrial development and the trained youths would have golden opportunities to get employment in Gwadar Port, Free Zone Industry, and other projects of the CPEC,” he said.

The ceremony was attended by the General Officer Commanding 44 Div Major General Inayat Hussain; Rear Admiral Jawad Ahmed of the Pakistan Navy; the Chairman of Chinese company Kopak, Zhang Bausing; the Chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority, Naseer Khan Kashani’ Commanding Officer 440 Brigade Brigadier Fahad Mansoor Kayani; the Assistant Commissioner of Gwadar, Raja Athar Abbas; and students and teachers of the Pak-China School.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Army troops assisting civil administration in rescue efforts after heavy rains in Balochistan coastal areas

Army troops are assisting civil administration in rescue and relief efforts after heavy winds, rains and thunderstorm hit coastal areas of Balochistan.

According to ISPR, heavy rain yesterday has caused urban flooding in low lying areas of Gawadar old town.

Teams are making efforts for dewatering of various areas and shifting people stranded in water through boats.

Rescue efforts along Coastal Highway, Pasni and Jiwani are also being conducted including traffic management at locations where infrastructure is damaged due to hill torrents.

Pakistan Coast Guards has successfully conducted rescue operations of stranded and capsized civil boats in collaboration with local fishermen.

Troops in Jiwani, Paishukan and small Jetties are assisting the locals in moving their boats to the safer locations.

Source: Radio Pakistan