Concern voiced over livestock smuggling

Prices of skins and hides increase.

KARACHI: Patron-in-Chief Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) S M Muneer has expressed concern that the government is not taking any measures to curb smuggling of livestock to Iran and Afghanistan due to which hides and skins have become dearer, creating difficulties for exporters in meeting export orders.

Addressing a reception hosted by Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), Muneer said that issues of livestock smuggling and authorities’ nod to livestock export would be taken up with the federal government as the leather industry’s future has been put at stake.

“The government has allowed unregulated export of livestock due to which heavy smuggling is taking place under the garb of export,” Muneer said.

Former chairman PTA Gulzar Firoz voiced concern over increasing prices of hides and skins and urged the government to immediately ban the export of livestock or at least impose export duty to regulate the trade.

He asked the government not to withdraw the sales tax exemption for five key export sectors and devise a no-payment, no-refund mechanism for the export sector.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th,  2011.