RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The Chairman of Pakistan Tanners Association, Sheikh Afzal Hussain, has urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to announce a special relief package for the leather sector so that this vital industry of the country could be equipped with all the tools required to fight the economic war in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Expressing serious concerns over the severe repercussions of the coronavirus on the leather sector of Pakistan, he said most of the leather export shipments were dumped at their destination ports without due clearance particularly in Europe, which was causing severe financial hardships to the PTA members.

In this context, Sheikh Afzal Hussain shared the details about the outcome of the meeting held on Monday and chaired by the Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce & Textile, Abdul Razzak Dawood, with all the stakeholders of the export sector of the country at the TDAP’s office, through a video link from Islamabad.

After threadbare discussions at the meeting, the exporters of Pakistan, including the leather sector, which was represented by the chairman of PTA, presented some proposals to be considered by the federal government for an immediate announcement of relief to the export sector.

Other proposals presented to the government included immediate release of sales tax, income tax and duty drawback claims to PTA members,

to include “Dyed/Finished Leather” in the new DLTL scheme for 2018-21 thru SRO 711, which was inadvertently eliminated from the Scheme as released by MOC and assured to PTA, but not yet been rectified with the issuance of addendum for SRO 711 with “Dyed/Finished Leather” inclusion with “retrospective effect from 1st July 2018.

Immediate Removal of irrational & illogical imposition of AGST & ACD whereas the Government is already collecting the CD & GST and

most importantly to make major cut in the interest rates which is exceptional in Pakistan.