recorder report

ISLAMABAD: The Organization for Advancement and Safeguard of Industrial Sector (OASIS) – the representative body of domestic industries/sectors has requested federal government to immediately appoint permanent Chairman and Members of Anti-dumping Appellate Tribunal for speedy disposal of cases and effective functioning of the tribunal.

In this regard, the representatives of the domestic industries and local sectors held a meeting to discuss issues of local industry and genuine requests of the immediate appointment of Chairman and Members of Anti-dumping Appellate Tribunal to make this forum more effective. A meeting of the corporate members of Organization for Advancement and Safeguard of Industrial Sector “OASIS” was held here on Thursday.

OASIS members were gathered to discuss the arising situation due to multiplicity of litigation at the level of Anti-dumping Appellate Tribunal.

The request of the OASIS came within the backdrop that presently there are two members in tribunal, who are working on additional charge basis. One of the members is working as chairman of the tribunal.

According to sources, the domestic industry is extremely worried about the fate of their tariff protection due to technical issues and legal having no fault on the part of the domestic industry. It was also apprised that all the cases of domestic industry have been decided on technical grounds having serious implications on domestic industry. It has been decided in the meeting that the domestic industry will raise collective voice before the concerned quarters with a view to get the long awaited appointments of the Members and the Chairman of the Anti-dumping Tribunal without any further delay.

It is also learnt that representatives of different industries decided to work collectively in future and make different government institutions to take responsibility and make them realize to take immediate steps necessary for the survival of the domestic industry. 

The representatives of the domestic industry, who attended the meeting included Tanveer Ahmad Khalid from Century Paper and Board Mills Ltd, Syed Wajid Iqbal Bukhari from Amreli Steels, Javed A. Sheikh & Tahir Shakoor from Ibrahim Fibres Limited, Khalid Abdul Quddus – Bulleh Shah Paper & Board Mills, Murtaza Lalan from Shabbir Tiles, Atif Iqbal - Executive Director OASIS and Azeem Danial - Advocate High Court from Master Tiles.

The participants expressed their deep concern over current situation of foreign currency reserves of the country and reaffirmed their commitment with the national economy to bring trade surplus by making import substitution and increasing exports from Pakistan. Had the previous governments taken steps to protect domestic industry on timely basis and built its capacity enough to cater local demand, the situation could have been entirely different. They also criticized short term approach and polices of the government without considering its long term impact. The participants decided to make a sector wide alliance under the umbrella of OASIS to raise collective issues before the concerned quarters on timely basis and get the issues resolved on immediate basis.

The participants emphasized that there is a paucity of actual data with regard to various sectors due to which the requests made to concerned quarters are not that fruitful. The OASIS members also decided to collect reliable and authentic data in respect of various sectors in order to substantiate their claims before the regulatory bodies so that purposeful and result oriented representations may be made. The Executive Director of OASIS assured the members on behalf of OASIS that OASIS will be gathering required data on ongoing basis and disseminate required information to all the sectors as and when required.