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Implementation of 'no duty, no drawback' scheme stressed

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The current trade deficit of $ 2 billion can be bridged by implementing 'no-duty no-drawback scheme and SROs' drafted for increasing the national exports.

The Collectorate of Customs, during the last couple of years has issued passbooks to only two exporters under no-duty no-drawback scheme, while 50 such cases are still pending.

This was claimed by Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) Chairman Mian Shafqat Ali and opposition leader in the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Mian Anjum Nisar during a meeting with a delegation of Export Association of non-traditional items, said a press release here on Thursday. The delegation was led by Export Association Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Riaz.

They alleged that bureaucracy was the major hurdle in implementation of SROs and programmes prepared for increasing exports.

The PIAF Chairman stated that whenever the country faced shortage of foreign exchange, sanctions on industry and trades were further tightened so as to control forex deficit. But, he regretted that the Collectorate of Export was yet to convince the exporters to get themselves registered under no-duty no-drawback scheme in order to increase exports.

Mian Shafqat proposed to the Chief Executive of Pakistan to abolish all those institutions including the collectorate of Exports, which were established to increase national exports but were not serving the purpose.

He said that the impediments in the way of exports should be eliminated at the earliest to bridge the trade deficit by June 2002.