Tanners expressed concern over the government's move to allow the export of live animals to Iran and Afghanistan, a press release said on Thursday. Reacting over reports published in a number of newspapers, Chairman of the Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) S.M. Naseem said that it was likely to increase the scarcity of basic material for the leather sector, adding that prices of hides and skins was likely to surge in coming days.
As a result, he said, members of the PTA would be unable to get repeat export orders from their regular foreign buyers, besides it would further escalate the production cost, which had already been compounded by hikes in prices of gas and electricity and essential chemicals.
The production of leather sector, he said, would also shrink from the existing level, which is currently operating at 50 to 60 percent, having only four working days for production.
Criticising the move, Naseem said that the permission to allow export of live animals would also drastically affect meat and milk prices in the domestic market, adding that they were already beyond the purchasing capacity of the masses. He also feared that the permission would accelerate the smuggling of live animals.
Terming the situation alarming, he said that the move would also result in the country losing precious foreign exchange, which the leather industry earns for the national exchequer.
Currently, Naseem said, PTA members were meeting their basic raw material needs by importing from various countries, especially from Africa. After imposition of a ban on such exports, he said, they would be compelled to depend on domestic raw material, which was already in short supply, adding that the allowance of export of live animals would further deplete the basic raw material
Urging the president and the prime minister to intervene, Naseem said that the matter was very significant and the government should reconsider its decision and withdraw it.
Stressing the need to save the leather industry, he said it was the second biggest export-oriented and value-added industry in terms of foreign exchange earnings.-PR