The LCCI Standing Committee on Hardware and Machine Tools, which met here on Monday with its convener Sheikh Riaz Shafi in the chair, discussed in detail problems being faced by the hardware and machine tools industry.
The meeting also urged the Pakistan Steal Mills to bring down prices of its products enabling the local industry to be competitive with Chinese products.
Amongst other members of the Standing Committee, the LCCI Vice President Shahzad Ali Malik also attended the meeting.
The meeting demanded of the government to curb the import of hardware and machine tools produced under the international brand names from China.
It observed that the hardware and tools named after the famous international brands are being imported from China in abundance and are being sold at such a cheap rates that the local industry is finding it hard to compete with. The Custom authorities, therefore, should take stern action to stem the flow of such fake hardware and tools from China.
Convener of the Committee Sheikh Shafique Riaz said that the tools industry is backbone of the engineering and manufacturing sectors hence it should be provided due protection.
He also appealed to the industrialists to register their brand names and designs to curb ongoing practices of piracy.