The issue is not whether businesses should pay tax. The real question is whether gross sales or gross receipts (essentially, turnover) are an appropriate basis for determining tax liability, particularly for small and low-margin enterprises

The interim government’s proposal to raise the turnover tax from 0.6 percent to 1 percent from the next fiscal year has sparked an outcry among business leaders, who said the measure could deal a fresh blow to firms already struggling to stay afloat.