Govt taking steps to eradicate menace of smuggling: Adviser.

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 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.

Shibli Farza and Kahuda Babar raised the issue of illegal import of apple from Iran. They demanded that its trade should be brought in the legal channel, besides imposition of duties to protect the local farmers of Balochistan.

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

Adviser 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 import of onions and tomatoes has not strengthened our farmers and has not helped in reducing prices as otherwise claimed.

The commute was assured by Secretary Commerce that ask that is required will be done to address the issue.

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

While discussing allowing import of re-rollable scrap, mutilation of scrap and petroleum products like white spirit and hydrocarbon the committee was told that the restriction on import on three containers of an importer was due to the dispute in whether the contents of the containers qualify as scrap or not.

Chief Collector Balochistan told the meeting that the case has been sent to court and will be decided accordingly.

A sub-committee was constituted to investigate the matter as well as see the issue of smuggling on 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 10% tax imposed on traders as well as...