Flour Mills Association postpones strike for 10 days

ISLAMABAD: The Flour Mills Association has announced a postponement of their ongoing strike for ten days following successful negotiations with the government.

The strike has disrupted operations for several days. It was temporarily halted after a meeting between the association representatives and a government committee that included Chairman Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan (FBR) and four federal ministers.

Read more: FBR Chairman stands firm on withholding tax for flour

According to sources, the Chairman FBR agreed to abolish the withholding tax imposed on flour millers, prompting the association to defer the strike. A consensus meeting between the Flour Mills Association and the government committee is scheduled for Thursday to discuss further the removal of the withholding tax.

The head the association clarified that the strike is not being ended but rather postponed for ten days. The Prime Minister assigned negotiation responsibilities to Federal Minister Ahad Cheema, accompanied by Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik during the discussions.

As a result of these talks, the nationwide strike has been rescheduled until July 22.

Read more: Flour Mills Association goes on strike against withholding tax

Further negotiations between the Flour Mills Association and the government are slated for Thursday, during which a final decision regarding the withholding tax will be made.

Flour milling operations are set to resume from Sunday onwards, which will facilitate the normalisation of flour supply across the country by Monday.