DNA

LAHORE, MAR 5 – Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) Chairman Mian Nauman Kabir has asked the government to resolve the issues of paper and packaging industry, as high utility prices and increase in paper prices are posing serious challenges. He said utility and raw material should be provided to the industry on cheaper rates, since the high cost of doing business was one of the major obstacles being faced by the industries. Mian Nauman Kabir said that PIAF will continue its efforts to resolving the problems being faced by traders dealing in paper and paperboard products.  

He said this while talking to the leadership of All Pakistan Paper Merchants Association (APPMA) and All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran (APAT) during separate visits to the Gunpat road, Shah Alam Market and Urdu bazaar along with PIAF Secretary Abdus Sabur Sheikh and other leadership. Chairman of the Association Malik Ahad Amin, patron-in-chief Khamis Butt and APAT President Khalid Pervaiz also spoke on the occasion. They unanimously demanded the government to withdraw all SROs, providing exemptions on paper import duties, as they are being misused widely. Khalid Pervaiz said that duties and taxes on paper should be reduced to help students get textbooks on cheaper rates. Elaborating the point, the businessmen belonging to the paper sector said that in the present circumstances, it is very important to ensure availability of textbooks at cheaper rates in post-COVID-19 era.  

PIAF Chairman urged the new body of All Pakistan Paper Merchants Association to forward their proposals to the PIAF so that issues, being faced by them, could be taken up with the government circles concerned. He said that APAT and Paper Merchants Association were playing a significant role for the promotion of education sector. 

The traders also took up the parking issue once again in the Urdu bazaar and adjoining areas as well as in Anarkali and said that despite repeated demands by the markets and associations the government has not provided the markets with parking spaces. 

PIAF Chairman said that the business community should work together for the resolution of their problems. He said even though the government has said to increase exports there are still hurdles which need to be cleared in order to export more freely.