‘Urdu labels on imported goods to increase cost’

LAHORE: Goods importers have appealed to Finance Minister Asad Umar and Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood to make amendments to the recently issued SRO 237(1)/2019 dated February 19, saying it will hit the businesses hard.

The demand was made by a delegation of FMCG Association of Pakistan in a meeting with LCCI President Almas Hyder, Senior Vice President Khawaja Shahzad Nasir and Vice President Faheemur Rehman Saigal on Saturday.

Delegation members expressed serious concern over a recent notification issued by the Ministry of Commerce, which made it compulsory that all imported food items should have labels in Urdu on the packaging, mentioning the ingredients, nutritional facts and usage directives.



They were of the view that the SRO 237, which required the printing in Urdu on the packaging of imported food items, must be reviewed as it would only hamper a smooth running of the business.

They pointed out that the importers of fast moving consumer goods were paying Rs8 billion per day to the national exchequer. “We are providing high-quality food products to the consumers of Pakistan and promoting a healthy competition in the food sector,” they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2019.

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