Chairman Pakistan Tanners' Association (PTA) Sheikh Afzal Hussain, and PTA Vice Chairman Muhammad Shafi have urged Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to grant permission with immediate effect with relaxed/acceptable "SOP" for the operation of leather factories and its allied industries in Sindh specially in Karachi to avoid further loss of this vital export oriented industry of the country (Leather Sector of Pakistan) so that in-hand export orders would be materialised / matured in time for the execution to yield the sizeable foreign exchange for the country.
They said that the present situation of the Leather Industry in Sindh is very worst as it is still deprived of granting permission for the operation of factories. It was also shared with the media that all pre-requisite information & documents within the prescribed format has already been submitted to all quarters concerned especially Home Department for granting permission with standard SOP, but unfortunately it is anxiously awaited from the Sindh Government or Home Department.
It is heard that Sindh government has chalked the provision for granting permission for the required operation subject to the submission of necessary prescribed " Undertaking" while the proposed clauses are proposed to be complied by the Industry are completely unacceptable/un-working particularly quarantine of labor specially out of duty hours, besides the proposed permission is being considered by the Sindh Government / Home Department to export oriented factories except the allied Industries/commodities such as "supplier of spare parts of the industry, chemicals suppliers etc., which are also the integral part of the Industry.
The chairman further said that lockdown has been enforce in Sindh for almost one month and all the export & business activities in Sindh have completely been stopped to support the Sindh Government but at huge cost/loss as has been faced/borne by the business community including PTA's member exporters and ultimately paid the salary/wages to labor from their own pocket, which should not be prolonged any more owing to severe financial crunches being faced by PTA's member exporters and rendering our member exporters to "Layoff" the labor as final resort henceforth.