LAHORE: Cement Industry has asked Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairperson Nausheen Javed Amjad to extend relief for claiming rebate against cement exports.
The cement industry stakeholders through Friends of Economic and Business Reforms (FEBR) a trade and industry representative body wrote a letter to the FBR chairperson in which FEBR President Kashif Anwar has said that in order to boost the faltering economy and cope with the challenges of prevailing pandemic COVID-19 in the country.
He said the Government of Pakistan is trying its level best to facilitate the business community.
They are implementing serious steps to cater with the current financial crisis and struggling hard to save its people from hunger and unemployment.
It is very encouraging that different ministries are continuously announcing various relief packages for export sectors and other local industries in the form of reduction in interest rate, concession, rebates, subsidies, suspension of taxes and extensions in the date of filing of tax returns etc, he highlighted.
In this regard, the Government of Punjab vide Order No. SOIs-II, 1-1/2004 dated 31st. March, 2020 soda ash industries and cement manufacturing plants including their supply chain bearing minimum staff are exempted from restrictions vide order 144 Cr PC dated 23. March, 2020 throughout the province, he stated.
The letter reads, Maam, 90% of the Cement exports are made to Afghanistan through land route via Torkham & Ghulam Khan borders but the borders are currently closed due to various reasons including the threat of Coronavirus outbreak in our area.
“We want to bring into your kind notice as the land route is blocked so there could not be any export of cement to Afghanistan which is a loss of revenue to our exchequer. Secondly, as the borders are closed, all export related customs clearing agent offices are also closed making it difficult for the cement sector to claim export rebate. We request you to kindly look into the matter and make arrangements for the export of cement via land route to Afghanistan under SOP’s. If timely, it is not possible kindly allow all export related customs clearing agent offices to work properly so they can submit export rebate claims or extend the export rebate claim period, ” the letter added.
Your timely action will save the cement industry in this period of financial crisis, FBR chief was urged.
