FPCCI demands govt give packaging sector status of industry

LAHORE: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Regional Chairman and Vice President Zaki Aijaz on Wednesday demanded of the government to grant industry status to the packaging sector.

He expressed these views while addressing the FPCCI “Round Table Discussion” on the Packaging Sector: Challenges and Opportunities at FPCCI Regional Office Lahore. The packaging sector is the backbone of all industries and the government should grant industry status to it in order to reap maximum benefits, Zaki Aijaz added.

He said that stakeholders should be included in the committee formed by the federal government on the packaging sector. The Packaging Sector should be included in the essential category. Printed books are being imported on zero-rated; they should be shut down immediately. The equivalent duty structure within the raw material and finished goods should be made clear to protect the local industry.

Zaki Aijaz further said that quality standards should be determined for the packaging sector and research and development should be made. Skills labor should be prepared through the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) and the National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NVTTC).

Stakeholders should be taken on board concerning Sustainability. The sales tax should be done in a single digit to reduce the gap with unregistered persons. Minimum tax should be abolished. The valuation of all sectors should be done quarterly.

Managing Director and CEO of Packages Limited, Syed Hyder Ali, Director & CEO of Century Paper & Board Mills Limited Aftab Ahmed, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Vice President Adnan Khalid Butt, Chairman Pakistan Association Of Printing And Graphic Arts Industry Saad Haleem Khan, Senior Vice Chairman of All Pakistan Corrugated Cartons Manufacturers Association (APCCMA) Khawaja Tariq Mehmood, Chairman of FLEXIBLE PACKAGING-Association of Converters of Pakistan Mujahid Ali Shaikh, CEO of Roshan Packages Limited Tayyab Aijaz Qureshi, Aslam Mehdi, Imran Aziz and others attended and offered their suggestions on promotion of packaging sector, exports and substitutes of imports.

Zaki Aijaz further said that packaging is a significant sector in which products inevitably reach local and international consumers. This industry is the backbone of our business, but regrettably, this sector has not yet been given industry status. The packaging industry is the world economy’s third-largest and fifth-largest industry in Asia.

He added that there is the most need in the world for environmentally friendly packaging and that we can promote the packaging sector and play a vital role in developing this country by earning a lot of foreign exchange.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024