20000302

Sindh wants

duty on plant,

machinery import

withdrawn

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Sindh Industries, Labour and Transport Minister Dewan Mohammad Yousuf, said that Sindh Industries Department has requested Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf and Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to withdraw 10 percent duty on the import of machinery and plant.

He said economic odds were being faced because of rampant corruption in the government departments and the present government was going all out to eliminate the maniac of corruption.

He said Site Limited will be re-organised as the non-development expenditure has grown much higher in comparison to development expenditure. It is infested with mismanagement and corruption for rectification of which due steps were being taken.

Speaking at a meeting of Site Association of Industry (SAI), he said his department had prepared a master plan in which the existing industrial zones have been categorised as per its investment potential. Nooriabad for instance, has been termed ideal for investment in value-added sector.

He said the government attached great importance to the production of value-added products and export. Plans are afoot for expansion and modernization of Nooriabad industrial estate.

Besides this, he said, his department would forward recommendations to the federal government regarding problems of industrialists relating to State Bank of Pakistan, removal of anomalies, GST on weaving, water scarcity, power shortage, one-time change of name without any charge on utility bills, re-management of Export Promotion Bureau and Site Limited, etc.

On pointation by the industrialists, the minister said, he, too, has reservations on the Interior Ministry's orders against possession of even licence arms. He said implementation of such directives would put the industrialists, businessmen and even a common law abiding person into insecurity.

He said the statement of interior minister on this issue was somewhat ambiguous as without ensuring security for the law abiding sections of the population, the withdrawal of licenced arm from them would not be an appropriate action.

He told the industrialists that they would not be questioned for deploying armed guards at their respective industrial units.

Earlier, the acting chairman, SAI, Imran, pointed out various problems which the minister agreed to look into and take measures to resolve them.