Pakistani tanners demand cut in exports refinance
The Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) has demanded that the country’s Ministry of Commerce reduces duty on chromium sulphate, formic acid and fat liquors the main raw material of leather industry in the forthcoming Trade Policy, a statement said on 18 July 2011.
PTA chairman Aziz Ahmed said that the government should allocate funds for schemes announced in the Trade Policy 2009/12, which are pending due to the lack of funds and the mark-up rate of the export refinance should be reduced to 5% for at least two years for the leather industry.
He also demanded that the provincial infrastructure tax, ranging from 0.8% to 0.85% imposed by the Sindh government at the import stage should be abolished. Livestock policy should be revamped in consultation with the leather and leather garments exporters, he said.
Assistance to leather garments and leathergoods exporters should be provided for workers’ training, he said, adding that the commission paid by exporters in Pakistani currency to agents for their services on exports should be charged at 1% as on exports as full and final liability.
