Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers' Association (PVMA), chairman Amjad Rashid and other business community leaders had a meeting with Central Board of Revenue (CBR) President Abdullah Yousaf, the other day. A PVMA handout issued on Friday said the issues relating to the industry and common man were raised in the meeting.
The statement said PVMA chairman raised concern of the industry over non-inclusion of different proposals in 2007-2008, budget. PVMA said the CBR had agreed that 0.5 percent warehousing surcharge on imported edible oils would be withdrawn in the budget 2007-2008, but it did not happen.
According to the handout, the CBR chairman instantly instructed the member to do the needful. It said the ghee exporters were not receiving full duty drawback and sales tax/FED refund on export of vegetable ghee/cooking oil to Afghanistan resultantly Pakistan lost at least 70 percent of export market in Afghanistan.
The CBR chairman promised that the demand would be accommodated and accordingly issued instructions to the concerned members of the CBR. The issue of enhancement of sales tax on imported tinplate from the existing 15 percent to 20 percent in the Budget 2007-2008 was also raised by PVMA chairman during the meeting.
He agreed that the issue would be looked into and there would be level playing field for the industry as a whole including that existing in Fata/Pata. PVMA claimed the CBR chairman inclined to consider adjustment of sales tax on tinplate on group/industry basis. The question of monopolising some ghee manufacturers by the Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan also came under discussion during the meeting,