Pakistan Industrial & Traders Associations Front (Piaf) Vice-chairman, Mian Abuzar Shad, terming the Trade Policy 2004-05 as exporter-friendly has said that incentives given in it would smoothen the way to achieve $13.7 billion export target.
In a statement issued here on Friday, Abuzar Shad stated that 25 percent subsidy given on granite & marble products would help increase the volume of exports. He appreciated the efforts of Punjab Minister for Minerals, Sibtain Khan for paving way for this subsidy to marble products. He said that there was a need to achieve latest technology to go in to value addition of minerals and marble products.
He called upon the government to exempt import of machinery related to minerals' exploitation from all the duties. He also urged the Punjab government to prepare solid and comprehensive recommendations with the consultation of private sector people for promotion of this sector.
Moreover, Engineering Component Manufacturers Association (ECMA) President Rehmat Ullah Javed also welcomed the trade policy for year 2004-05, and said that the incentives announce in it would help achieve the target fixed for the current financial year. He said that the government has tried to prepare the industry for the post-WTO regime.
Meanwhile, All Pakistan Cottage Industries & Small Traders Welfare Association Chairman, Ghulam Sarwar Malik in his reaction, expressed regret over not allowing import of used auto parts in the trade policy 2004-05.
In a statement, he said that permission of import of second hand machinery and boiler had been given but used auto parts had been neglected completely. He said that there was a ban on import of used auto parts for last seven years due to which people attached to this business were facing manifold problems.
He said that these parts were not manufactured locally and were being marketed through smuggling depriving government exchequer from billions of rupees. He said that permission in this regard would help checking the menace of smuggling.