PIAF appeals to PM to intervene for end of traders' strike through talks.

Lahore -- As traders' talks with the government have failed the Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) Chairman Mian Nauman Kabir has appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to intervene and play his role in a peaceful solution of the problems of the business community through dialogues, as economy suffers an estimated loss of at least Rs.30 billion in a single day due to shutter-down strike of small businessmen.

He said that traders' turnover across the country stands at around Rs.50 billion while the share of this retail sector in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stands at around 20%. According to the rough calculations, retailers do businesses worth around Rs.30 billion in one day. He said that traders, who just wanted the government to simplify the tax procedure, have been playing a crucial role in importing raw material and finished goods and supplying them throughout the domestic economy.

He said small traders and the citizens were already facing severe financial crunch, as the government had levied heavy taxes...