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Senate Standing Committee on Commerce on Monday forwarded various amendments for incorporation in three bills - the Anti-Dumping Duties Bill, 2015, the Countervailing Duties Bill, 2015 and the Safeguard Measures (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The committee, chaired by Senator Syed Shibli Faraz, was given a detailed briefing by adviser to Ministry of Commerce, Shandana Gulzar Khan. The proposed amendments in all the bills were on technical grounds that mostly contain language corrections and other technical terms.
The chairman of the committee while presenting the amendments stated that these have been unanimously proposed by the panel with a view to making all the three bills more effective for boosting the trade and fetching investment. He said that certain amendments were necessary to facilitate investors, helping them to address problems.
He observed that the committee was thoroughly scrutinising the bills to make them according to the modern age requirement, benefiting traders, business community and investors of all the provinces alike. During briefing on the clause 32 of Anti-Dumping Duties Bill, 2015 related to Appeal to the Appellate Tribunal, the committee asked explanation from Law Ministry on insertion of the proviso as mandated by the Protection of Pakistan Act, 2014.
The committee was of the opinion either to remove the section or the Law Ministry should come up with explanation, as the Act is going to expire after two years of remaining in force. The committee asked the high officials of the Law Ministry that they also failed to satisfy the committee. Adviser of the Ministry of Commerce, on the insistence of members, told the committee that there was no bar from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to give a subsidy to the agriculture sector.
Committee member Alyas Bilour said that the government should give subsidy to the agriculture sector, which is the backbone of the country's economy and without giving subsidy on certain items, development of the agriculture sector was not possible. The committee also asked National Tariff Commission (NTC) to undertake measures for creating awareness among the business community, traders and investors of Balochistan so as to ensure that their rights are protected.
The committee members were unanimous to suggest the steps to be undertaken to promote local production of fruits, coal and other local products especially in Balochistan. The committee also decided to invite all the stakeholders from Balochistan in its next sitting so that their problems should be addressed. The parliamentary panel also expressed serious concern over the imbalance in the taxes on coal import. Usman Khan Kakar, a committee member from Balochistan, said there were serious concerns associated with cola business among the business community, saying that the cola imported from Afghanistan via Torkham border was being charged at the rate of $85 per ton while the same coming from Karachi was for only $70 per ton. The meeting was also attended by Senator Saleem Mandviwala, Mufti Abdul Satttar, Haji Saifuallh Khan Bangash, Secretary Commerce Mohammad Shehzad Arbab and other senior officials of the ministry as well Secretary NTC Mohammad Shahid.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

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