LCCI Calls Strike on July 19 Over Tax Issues

Lahore, July 11, 2025, 03:21 PM PKT — The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has declared a nationwide strike on July 19, 2025, to condemn Section 37AA of the Income Tax Ordinance, punitive bank transaction taxes, and Punjab’s proposed labor policy, which it deems devastating to businesses, per a press conference by President Mian Abuzar Shad, supported by trade and industrial associations and chambers including Karachi Chamber of Commerce. Shad warned of severe business damage, rising unemployment, and eroding investor confidence, slamming Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials’ unchecked powers and unconsulted decisions, demanding immediate policy reversals to halt economic victimization.

Shad highlighted the nationwide impact on millions of livelihoods, decrying taxing Rs200,000 transactions as irrational and unacceptable, and noting 21 multinational companies exiting due to a hostile business climate. He also criticized Rs1 trillion paid to independent power producers (IPPs) with no electricity output, a burden on industrialists vital to the national economy. LCCI Senior Vice President Engineer Khalid Usman cautioned of widespread closures and mass unemployment from government overreach, while Executive Committee member Khurram Lodhi called for audits of bureaucrats’ salaries and assets to justify their impactful decisions.

Web context reveals tax policy disputes (e.g., 15% transaction tax rise), while posts found on X show outrage—some back the strike, others question government response. Critically, the narrative of “business support” may mask policy rigidity—web data points to compliance costs, and X sentiment suggests distrust in resolution, hinting at escalating tensions.