PESHAWAR: Senator Ilyas Ahmed Bilour has expressed concern over imposition of one per cent infrastructure development cess on imported goods and asked for its immediate withdrawal.

Mr Bilour, who is also ANP parliamentary leader in the Senate, in a statement on Sunday, said under the 18th amendment the provincial government could enjoy lot of powers but it failed to take any step for public welfare.

“Had the provincial government capable of running the affairs it would have brought an economic revolution in the province so far,” he lamented, and added the imposition of new tax on arrival of imported goods in Peshawar would further ruin the industrial sector in KP.

The senator said it was ironic that the provincial government, on one hand, was proclaiming to give incentives to investors and, on the other, imposing new taxes on them.

Senator Bilour asked the government to withdraw the one per cent infrastructure development cess and focus on exploiting natural resources in order to overcome financial crisis.

He said the provincial government was unable to get its due share from the federal government despite daily producing 500 mmcf natural gas 60,000 barrels of crude oil.