Iranian cement: Industry for examining quality

Alleges most of the cement comes without any duty payment

LAHORE: Cement manufacturers have asked the Ministry of Commerce to stop the import of Iranian cement via land routes and allow supplies at set tariffs and duties after quality check at the Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

In a letter written to Federal Commerce Secretary Muhammad Shehzad Arbab, All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association Chairman Muhammad Ali Tabba pointed out that despite bringing the matter to the notice of customs authorities, the smuggling of Iranian cement into Pakistan through land had continued unabated.

“The Iranian cement is of uncertain quality as it does not have the approval or standards marked by the PSQCA,” he said. “The import volume has been increasing and has now reached the alarming level at about 2,000 tons per day.”

Coming through Taftan, Post 250 and Mand customs check-posts, he said, the consignments were being allowed without payment of customs duty and other federal levies, in connivance with the customs authorities.

These officers allegedly collected duties for only a small volume while the bulk came without any statutory levies.

As a result, Tabba said, the market in areas adjacent to the Iranian border as well as coastal areas of Balochistan was flooded with cheap Iranian cement. In this situation, the domestically produced commodity is fast losing market.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^th, 2015.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.