Chairman, Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) (SZ), Aziz Ahmed has urged the government to revamp livestock policy in consultation with leather and leather garments exporters.
He pleaded that either livestock exports should be banned totally or imposed 20 percent cess on their exports in order to save export-oriented sectors, especially leather and leather garments, footwear, leather gloves and woollen industry.
Assistance to leather garments and leather goods exporters should be provided for workers' training. The commission paid by exporters in Pakistani currency to agents for their services on exports should be charged at one percent (the same as on exports) as full and final liability. Export/import of leather garments and leather goods samples should be allowed to the exporters as ratio of last year units shipped irrespective of the specific annual monetary or quantitative ceilings
He also demanded the ministry of commerce to reduce duty on chromium sulphate, formic acid and fat liquors as the main raw material of leather industry in the forthcoming trade policy. He said that the government should allocate funds for schemes announced in the Trade Policy 2009-12, which are pending due to lack of funds and the mar-up rate of Export Refinance should be reduced to 5 percent for at least two years for the leather industry.
He further demanded that the Provincial Infrastructure Tax, ranging from 0.80 percent 0.85 percent imposed by Sindh government, at import stage should be abolished.