LAHORE: A seminar on “Tariffs & Trade Defense Instruments” held at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Monday. The seminar was jointly organized by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry and National Tariff Commission.
Director General of National Tariff Commission (NTC) Khizar Hayat, Director Muhammad Arshad, Member NTC Tipu Sultan, the LCCI Vice President Fahim-ur-Rehman Sehgal and other experts spoke on the occasion.
National Tariff Commission is a body corporate established under an Act of Parliament i.e. NTC Act, 1990 (replaced by NTC Act, 2015) and is presently performing its function under NTC Act, 2016, Anti-Dumping Duties Act, 2015, Countervailing Duties Act, 2015 and safeguards Measures Ordinance 2002.
The NTC officials said in a presentation that functions of National Tariff Commission under NTC Act, 2015 are to advise the government on tariff and other trade measures, to provide assistance to the domestic industry, improve the competitiveness of the domestic industry, rationalization of tariff and proposals for tariff reforms, removal of tariff anomalies, to administer the trade remedy laws, advise the Pakistani exporters/producers facing trade remedy investigation abroad and assist the government at the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body in respect of matters pertaining to the trade remedy laws.
The participants of the meeting asked many questions including difference between the role of National Tariff Commission and Federal Board of Revenue in policy formation for tariff determination.
The LCCI Vice President Fahim-ur-Rehman Sehgal said that such initiatives are need of the hour and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He said that NTC will have to take necessary measures to deal with emerging global trends in a befitting manner. He hoped that all NTC efforts will lead to improve the industrial competitiveness of the country particularly the export oriented industry.
