ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister for Commerce, Textile and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood said the government has prioritized to go for tariff rationalization in potential textiles sectors to enhance the country’s exports.
The Adviser said this while briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce chaired by MNA, Syed Naveed Qamar today in the Parliament House, Islamabad.
Razak Dawood informed the Committee that National Tariff Commission (NTC) was directed to complete study of the textile sector so that tariffs of the sector could be rationalized in line with the recommendations of the study.
He further informed that the objectives of the study was to rationalize tariffs of the inputs and intermediate goods used by the textile sector, remove tariff anomaly in the textile value chain, gradually remove excessive protection to remove anti-export bias and to improve consumer welfare.
The Committee also discussed the draft proposals prepared for the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).
He informed the Committee that the Cabinet has extended three months in the APTTA as it was expired today.
He added that “we have sufficient time to continue negotiations on finalizing the new Agreement.” He said that the Afghan side has requested that the monopoly of TPL tracker may be finished and more companies may be shortlisted by Pakistan Customs to avoid shortage of trackers, faced during Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chairman of committee Syed Naveed Qamar expressed serious concern on Pakistan’s high textile tariffs as compared to other regional competitors.
He urged the government to take immediate steps regarding rationalization of tariffs of the Textile Sector.
He said that Textile and Apparel accounts for over 60 percent of Pakistan’s exports and higher import tariffs are increasingly being dubbed as tax on exports making exports un-competitive.
The Committee unanimously confirmed the Minutes of its meeting, held on 13th January 2021.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Ali Khan Jadoon, Muhammad Yaqoob Shaikh, Mian Muhammad Shafiq, Ms. Wajiha Akram, Ms. Sajida Begum, Ms. Farukh Kha, Mr. Usman Ibrahim, Rana Iradat Sharif Khan, Rasheed Ahmed Khan, Ms. Tahira Aurangzeb, Ms. Shaista Pervaiz, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani and Mr. Mohsin Dawar. The meeting was also attended by Adviser for Commerce, Textile and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood along with the Secretary Maritime Affairs, Special Secretary Commerce, officials from representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Federal board of Revenue (FBR) and representatives from All Pakistan Textile Mill Association (APTMA).
