Govt taking steps to eradicate menace of smuggling: Razak Dawood

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Textile Abdul Razak Dawood Tuesday said the government was taking steps to eradicate the menace of smuggling.

The adviser told this to the Senate’s Standing Committee on Commerce and Textile when the issue of cross border smuggling of fruits, including apple, and other goods from Iran was raised in its meeting held here at the Parliament House.

The committee also discussed the import of onions and tomatoes and called for levying taxes.

Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood suggested holding a meeting with the Quetta Chamber of Commerce to resolve these issues and address the grievances of importers.

The committee observed that prohibiting the import of onions and tomatoes has not strengthened our farmers and has not helped in reducing prices as otherwise claimed.

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Senate Standing Committee on Commerce and Textile in its meeting on Tuesday recommended the earliest possible appointment of quarantine officers in Balochistan to curb smuggling and support legal import.

A sub-committee was constituted to investigate the matter as well as see the issue of smuggling on a broader perspective to be headed by Senator Ahmed Khan.

The Committee also discussed the matter of problems faced by local manufacturers, spinners, weavers, traders and exporters with regard to input tax, GST mechanism for local turnover tax, ID card payment issues and the additional 10pc tax imposed on traders as well as status of refunds under new system and problems in submission of Annexure-H.

The meeting chaired by Mirza Muhammad Afridi, was attended by Leader of the House in Senate Shibli Faraz, Nuzhat Sadiq, Maulana Atta ur Rehman, Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo, Ahmed Khan, Kahuda Babar, Ghous Bakhsh Niazi and Rana Mehmood ul Hassan.