'Government to cut down tariffs by next financial year'

Secretary National Tariff Commission (NTC) Mrs Batool Qureshi said on Wednesday that Pakistan's tariff was on decline and would be brought down to the lowest ebb by the next financial year adding that Pakistani business community should not be worried on the implementation of World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime with regard to subsidies and countervailing duties.
She expressed these views while concluding the one day seminar on antidumping duties, laws and procedures organised jointly by National Tariff Commission and Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here at the chamber office. She added that our exporters and domestic industries did not have enough knowledge and expertise about WTO remedial laws. Moreover, they are not aware of the challenges ahead of the post WTO regime.
"Pakistan is a global partner of the global economy and it sets out comprehensive rules intended to guide all aspects to generate economic activities in the country" she said and added that Pakistan cannot live isolated from the WTO and other economic financial bodies in the world. She urged that WTO anti-dumping rules and regulations are equal for the developed as well as less developed countries.
Secretary NTC said the anti-dumping problem has affected our exports oriented industries especially the textile sector. She maintained that China was emerging as the largest global economy especially in textile sectors beside USA and European Union. She remarked that even USA and EU was also suffering the menace of dumping.
The Pakistani traders need not worry as the exports of Pakistan are also catching these global economies especially in textile sector. Pakistani exporters, she said would learn anti-dumping techniques and their importance with the passage of time.
Secretary NTC said CBR was endeavouring to create awareness about the anti-dumping laws and the present seminar is one of the steps towards it. She stressed the need for competition, truthfulness and quality of the product to avoid dumping.
Earlier Senior Vice President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sharafat Ali Mubarak presented the welcome address. He lauded the efforts of federal government on the request of SCCI to line up funds from the export development outlay to the tune of 100,000 dollars to cater the legal charges on defending the local industry against the preventive steps.
Mumtaz Haider Rizvi, Member NTC gave answers to several queries of the participants. To a question, he said that NTC would not hand over the information of the applicant and it would be kept confidential. He said, the procedures of the anti dumping laws are simple and an applicant could apply national tariff commission about their product or goods in case of sound proof.