Chief Collector Customs Rabab Sikandar assured the Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMAEA) on Sunday of giving due consideration and resolving their issues.
In a meeting with the PCMEA office-bearers here at the Association’s office, she said she would take action on all the suggestions made by the businessmen. She acknowledged the role of hand-knotted carpet industry in job creation and strengthening economy of the country and assured that her department would support the sector as hundreds of thousands of people were attached with it.
She also urged the carpet association to prepare a comprehensive presentation regarding all their problems and the Customs officers concerned would brief the carpet manufacturers, exporters and other stakeholders in this regard.
“The concerns and suggestions raised regarding the suspended SRO 492 and newly issued SRO 545 related to carpet products temporarily imported for repair, rewash and refinish will be taken into consideration immediately and there is an effort to give a positive reaction regarding the extension of the period ending this month,” she mentioned.
PCMEA Senior Vice Chairman Usman Ashraf and senior central leader Shahid Hasan Sheikh informed Chief Collector Customs Rabab Sikandar about the long-standing problems faced by exporters of handmade carpets and requested her to solve them. They demanded that the concerned departments should improve communication with the exporters to solve the problems and it is suggested to appoint a focal person for effective communication and resolving the problem.
They said that the industry of handmade carpets is a cottage industry, there are various stages involved in making a carpet and it is a slow process of many months and similarly, carpets that are temporarily imported from foreign countries for repair, rewash and refinish require time for re-manufacturing and returning them.
“In this regard SRO 492 was very suitable for us but now the period has been shortened by SRO 545 and the extension period is coming to an end next week, which is causing serious concern among the exporters,” they added.
They said that the industry of handmade carpets is the recognition and pride of Pakistan all over the world. There is a demand that the duties of foreign countries should be reduced, if handwoven carpet products are also included in the free trade agreement with various countries, then our exports can increase many times.
Chief Collector of Customs Rabab Sikandar said that exporters are the backbone of the economy, therefore, their problems would be solved. She further said seminars would be conducted jointly regarding implementation of various laws and ‘we will take stakeholders into confidence in this regard.’—APP
