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NTC hearing on ship-breaking tariff on Feb 3

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The National Tariff Commission (NTC) will hold a public hearing on the tariff structure for the ship breaking industry in the committee room of NTC in Islamabad on February 3.

The NTC is examining a request of Pakistan Ship Breakers Association (PSBA) for revision of tariff structure applicable to import of ships for breaking up. According to the PSBA, due to duty changes in the current budget (1999-2000), and other changes in the cost/pricing structure, the ship-breaking industry has become uncompetitive against the competing products (steel billet and ingots). Therefore, it has requested for rationalising the respective duty structure.

Related associations and federal secretaries have been invited by the NTC to participate in the public hearing. The following points will be particularly discussed in the meeting : protection available to the ship-breaking industry manufacturing ship plates and the requisite level of protection, price, quality and availability of the ship plates (raw material) produced by local manufacturers vis-a-vis billets and ingots.