KFHA likely to ban defaulter companies from seafood export

The defaulter seafood companies are likely to be banned from exporting seafood for not paying dues, as Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) undertook a plan to augment its revenues and scale down leakages in tax collection. Managing Director (MD) KFHA, Abdul Ghani Jokhio told Business Recorder on Tuesday that about five export-oriented seafood companies had not paid the authority annual ground rents despite official warnings.
He made it clear that the authority had the legal backing to ban export of these defaulter units at the harbour. "All supplies of these factories and export will be banned if they did not clear their dues immediately," he warned. The companies are: National Seafood owes Rs 4,75000, Fresh Water Fisheries Rs 50,0000, Prime Fisheries Rs 6,50,000, Pak Exports Rs 17,50,000, and G.M. Fisheries Rs 13,25,000 to KFHA under the annual ground rent, the MD pointed out.
"Some of them have not paid the rent for the past several years," he said, adding that such revenue collection leakages had seriously affected the authority's financial position. Repeating his warning, Jokhio said that he had left with no choice except to act against all those owing dues to the authority.
"I will ban the defaulter companies' activities and export at the harbour, although I expect huge political pressure," he said, adding that the law has to be implemented for streamlining the harbour's business. He reiterated his resolve to improve the harbour's condition. "I know it is a big challenge and political pressure will likely to exerted but I will not step back," he resolved.
However, seafood exporters believed the authority would not ban the export and other activities of the defaulter companies as the export-oriented seafood processing units some times gradually pay their dues for the want of finances. They said the country was already suffering from the EU ban on its seafood export and if the authority restricts the business then the economy of the country will suffer. "We need to expand the country's international trade not to further downsize it for such small issues of taxes," they opined.