MULTAN, June 7th:Traders of Southern Punjab have urged upon the Federal and provincial Governments to convene a meeting of traders to resolve their problems so that 8 million small traders could keep continue their trade activities in free and fair manners.Ten power plants which are lying closed be reactivated instead of Rental Power plants to bridge the gap of demand and supply of electricity.Addressing a joint press conference in Multan Press Club on Monday Khawaja Muhammad Suleman Siddiqui, Central Senior Vice president of Markazi Anjuman Tajiran Pakistan, Malik Nazir Ahmed Awan, Central Chairman of Markazi Anjuman Tajiran, Muhammad Akhtar Butt, President of Pakistan Chemists & Druggists Association (PCDA) Shaikh Akram Hakim , Soofi Abdul Rehman Bhatti, Dr. Mazhar Nawaz, Muhammad Idrees Butt, Arif Fasih-ullah, Shaikh Muhammad Rauf, President of Anjuman Tajiran,Shaikh Suhail Akhtar, Haji Shoaib Mumtaz, and Javed Akhtar Khan vowed not to comply with the orders of the Government to shut their business concerns at 0800 PM and payment of Value Added Tax (VAT) from October Ist,2010.They urged upon the PEPCO to withdraw its schedule of power shut-down for two hours from 0800 to 1000 PM.They said that Government wanted to keep the traders and the entire nation in the fetters of VAT for the pleasures of the IMF/ World bank. They rejected the one percent increase in the General sales tax describing it harmful to national economy and said that 15 percent General sales tax be introduced. Traders also opposed the levy of 10 percent Federal Excise Duty on the sales of Deep-freezers, Air-conditioners and other electronic appliances.Traders of Southern Punjab also opposed the 0.3 percent withholding tax on the transaction of amount, travel cheques,Pay orders, Demand Drafts etc.