January 22, 2003	Wednesday	Ziqa’ad 18, 1423

FAISALABAD, Jan 21: The Export Promotion Bureau has withheld the visas against shipments made by the exporters to various European destination during the last week of December, which may cause huge financial loss to the exporters and the national economy.

In a statement here on Tuesday, Chairman, Faisalabad Dry Port, Mukhtar Ahmed Shaikh and former Chairman, All Pakistan Cloth Exporters Association, Mian Muhammad Latif, said that the Pakistan exporters as usual made shipment to various European countries after completing the required formalities for shipment.

In the meantime, the exporters contacted the EPB for issuance of visas as the shipments of Export Goods have already been reached at their European destinations but the EPB did not issue the visas.

They said that EPB had detained the visas without any cogent reason causing inordinate delay for the clearance of goods.

The delay for issuance of visas on the part of the EPB is creating problems for the exporters as they shall have to pay the demurrage and other charges. Under such circumstances, the country will not only be deprived of good business repute but exporters would also lose the future orders from foreign buyers.

They further told that the Pakistan exporters had brought this alarming situation to the notice of Federal Commerce Minister during his recent visit to Frankfurt, who directed the authorities of EPB to resolve the issue within a day but nothing has been done.

They demanded of the Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, to direct the EPB officials for the issuance of European visas.