Ban on split leather export demanded

The Chairman of Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA), Muhammad Younas has demanded imposition of ban immediately on export of 'blue split leather' to save the gloves industry from total collapse. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday he said that export of blue split leather was adversely impacting the gloves industry as sufficient material is not avail in the market.
"We have huge foreign orders of gloves, but due to non-availability of the material the business community is confronting multiple problems," he said. Yiunas said that it would be a serious blow to national exchequer if the situation remained the same as Pakistan would lose its grip on international market. "Though the government has imposed 20 percent duty on the export of split leather, unfortunately it yet being exported by the changing its code," he added.
He said that it was high time that the government took immediate action in this regard not only for safeguarding the gloves industry but to keep the gloves industry alive in the global market. He added that timely action of the government would not only be supportive to protect the gloves industry but would also avoid the huge unemployment of more than 0.2 million industrial workers engaged in the gloves industry.
The PGMEA chairman said that smuggling of animals and export of split leather are the main cause of decline in export of gloves and, according to an estimate, over 3 million animals had so far been smuggled to Afghanistan as a result of which prices of meat, beef and milk had shot up manifold. The government should adopt appropriate measures to discourage the menace of smuggling of animals to bring down the prices of meat, beef and milk to facilitate the common man as well as the gloves industry, he said. He pointed out that export of gloves amounts to over $280 million but there was a rapid decline in the export.