LAHORE: A Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) delegation led by its Senior Vice Chairman Usman Ashraf called on Collector Customs Appraisement West Zahra Haider to discuss their problems related to the Customs Department.
Senior central leader Abdul Latif Malik, Major (r) Akhtar Nazir and Shahid Hassan Sheikh were also among the delegates.
The delegation informed Collector Customs Zahra Haider about their concerns regarding the suspended SRO 492 and the newly issued SRO 545 related to carpet products temporarily imported for repair, rewash and refinish. The handmade carpet industry is a cottage industry, the manufacturing of a carpet involves various stages and is a slow process lasting several months and similarly, carpets which are temporarily imported from foreign countries for repair, rewash and refinish require time for re-manufacturing and returning them, they said and added that in this regard, SRO 492 was very suitable for them, but now the period has been reduced by SRO 545, which has caused serious concern among exporters.
The delegation said that on the pattern of registered manufacturers, commercial importers should also be given relief in customs duties. They expressed their gratitude to Collector Customs Zahra Haider for reactivating the NLC dry port system, and hoped that she would inform the higher authorities of FBR about the suggestions made for solving the problems.
They said that the handmade carpets industry is the largest cottage industry of Pakistan, which directly or indirectly employs more than one million skilled workers. This industry does not have any kind of burden on the government, rather this industry is playing an important role in the country’s economy in the form of foreign exchange through exports.
Zahra Haider while welcoming the delegation said that exporters have an important role in the country’s economy, FBR is always trying to solve the problems. She assured the delegation that their problems would be discussed with relevant authorities and a positive progress would be made on it. Usman Ashraf also presented a PCMEA souvenir to Zahra Haider.
