Tax refund delays frustrate Pakistan tanners
Approximately 30 leather exporters from Multan, Sialkot, Lahore and Karachi have called upon the Pakistan government to settle their sales tax duty drawback payments.
The exporters say the overdue payments are now urgently required, as they are having real problems paying even basic overheads such as salaries and utility bills. The government’s Central Board of Revenue (CBR) owes refunds of approximately PRs122 ($ 2,010,215) million to the exporters.
The Pakistan Tanners’ Association has called for an urgent meeting with the Federal Export Promotion Board to discuss the situation which, it says, is now seriously jeopardising the industry’s ability to meet government-set export targets. Total unpaid leather industry refunds are said to exceed PRs1 billion ($ 16,477).
