PCMEA demands removal of trade hurdles.

LAHORE -- Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) on Sunday called upon the authorities concerned to take effective and appropriate measures to remove hurdles in way of trade and economy.

Chairing a meeting in the Association's office here, the PCMEA Vice Chairman Usman Ashraf said that they met with top officials of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and informed them about the different taxes imposed on partially finished raw materials imported through Afghanistan and other issues.

He said the problems related to the State Bank were also the same, so the government should resolve these problems that these problems without delay for much-needed increase in exports for the country.

Usman Ashraf told the participants that a three-member delegation comprising senior members Abdul Latif Malik and Riaz Ahmed under his leadership called on three-member officials including Member Customer Policy and Chief Sales Tax Policy of FBR and informed them of their demands. "In this regard, we have also sent our reports in writing to the Chairman FBR," he added

He said that they told the FBR that hand-loom carpet industry was a cottage industry spread over different places and partially finished raw materials for this industry were procured from Afghanistan through Torkham border and after final preparation in Pakistan, it was 100 percent exported.

In the previous federal budget, he mentioned, the registered exporters were exempted from customs duties. "We request...