The announcement by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) that manufacturing, sale and use of poly bags/plastic bags below 300 micron thickness is a crime and punishable under law has caused a wave of fear and unrest among members of business community here.
It amounts to harassment to a large number of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) members who are in the manufacturing, trading and are using poly bags/plastic bags as packing material. The most startling and disquieting fact of CDGK's public notice is that respectable manufacturers, traders and end-users of these bags who are tax payers are being arrested like common criminals "which indeed is most unjustified and unwarranted".
Siraj Kassam Teli, leader of ruling businessmen group and a former President of KCCI, Jawed Bilwani, acting President of KCCI, Mohammad Ali and members of managing committee of KCCI have appealed to CDGK to withdraw this notice as otherwise exports and economy would be in utter chaos. It may also result in lawlessness as due to breakdown and closure of large number of businesses may lead to mass unemployment, and shoot up crime in the city.
A large number of KCCI members, manufacturers of these bags, wholesalers and retailers, traders and industrialists, who are using these bags to pack their products, have approached KCCI, describing the notice as "harsh" which would lead to great losses and closure of a large number of businesses, including industries. Among those who have expressed concern are also exporters who are packing their garments and textile fabrics in poly bags/plastic bags.
Manufacturers and sellers of food items, such as bread, confectionery, food grains, sugar, rice and other kitchen items, biscuits, etc, and consumer goods of various nature use these bags of different micron. Poly bags/plastic bags of over 150 micron cannot be manufactured in existing machines.
Exporters of garments, home textiles and related textile products meant for exports have also complained that due to the fear of CDGK notice, supplies by the manufacturers of these bags have been stopped. As a result, their production and shipment schedules, including commitment to foreign buyers, have been affected due to nonavailability of these bags--an essential packing material.
Other exporters use poly bags/plastic bags for packing of garments in these bags of sheet/bag of 100 to 150 micron. They fear that cancellation of vitally important export orders by their foreign buyers would be detrimental to the nation's export earnings in foreign exchange.