November 7, 2002	Thursday	Ramazan 1,1423

KARACHI, Nov 6: The federal government has imposed a ban on import of second hand dump trucks.

These trucks were being imported as construction machinery at concessional rates and then being converted in to haulage trucks and buses for commercial use, said an official of heavy vehicle company.

In an SRO 768(I)/2002, issued on November 2, the government has removed dumpers from the list of machinery that can be imported at concessional rates.

In an effort to promote the construction machinery, the government has allowed imports of construction machinery at reduced rate. The SRO 489(I)/2000, under which such machinery can be imported also, allowed for import of dumpers designed for off highway use.

However in the recent past a large number of such dumpers were being imported for use as commercial vehicles which were not only unsafe for operation but were also adversely affecting the local commercial industry as well as depriving the exchequer of legitimate duties.