Chairman Pakistan Tanners' Association (PTA), S.M. Naseem, has apprehended that international recession is knocking at the door and it is essential to adopt all preventive measures well in advance to face all consequences and challenges in this regard.
He also urged the government that it should extend support with all incentives and benefits to the second biggest export-oriented, value-added industry for the motivation of its members to enable them play a pivotal role in fetching precious foreign exchange for the country.
Naseem informed that is organising the biggest national pavilion in financial collaboration with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan in the MM&T Section of "Asia Pacific Leather Fair", to be held from 28-30th March 2012 in Hong Kong. The idea of participation in the fair is that the members should display finest quality leather at the respective booths to catch the attention of foreign buyers and visitors. This way, he added, they are optimistic to capture enormous business this year by virtue of huge participation from Pakistan.
He further said that in the same context, a meeting was held with chief TDAP, Tariq I. Puri wherein the matter was inter alia discussed in detail. Puri firmly assured to extend maximum co-operation to make the participation of PTA members a success. With special regard to removing the condition of three-year participation of TDAP, it was informed that those member exporters who participated more than three times in one event are not able to get government's subsidy, which would definitely bring severe adverse effects to leather exports in coming months. Moreover, most regular/active member exporters of PTA playing major role in fetching precious foreign exchange are completely unable of participation in the fair, especially APLF'2012 HK, owing to the condition. It was highlighted that PTA is participating in the mega event in HK consecutively for the last couple of decades.
Chairman PTA also expressed deep concern about the affairs of NILT, which is one of its kinds in Korangi, here for catering to the needs of skill development in leather industry, but presently is in a deep financial turmoil. Resultantly, all educational activities in NILT are suffering to a severe extent. To resolve this, proposal of grant of Rs 200 million is pending approval to be made in EDF Board. During the meeting, the matter of financial stringency was also discussed by PTA delegation. CEO TDAP assured to take up this matter with the Ministry of Commerce. Chairman PTA made strong appeal to the government to providing all maximum possible incentives, especially to approve/release the demanded fund for NILT to run its affairs smoothly and conveniently.
It was also articulated that it is important to extend support to Combined Effluent Treatment Plant, exclusive project for water treatment in Korangi, established by PTA, as the project is facing severe financial problems. Tariq I. Puri assured to get necessary funds released from the ministry concerned for the project.
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