KARACHI, Oct 6: A former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Tariq Sayeed has demanded an immediate ban, for at least next six months, on import of a large variety of items, which he thinks absolutely unnecessary, to make a minimum foreign exchange saving of $8 billion.

In a statement faxed to Dawn on Monday Mr Tariq, who is now president of the Saarc chamber of commerce and industry, proposed a restriction on import of chocolates, candies, canned juices, confectionery items, assorted dry nuts, beverages, cellular phones and allied telecom equipments, a variety of home appliances like refrigerators, air-conditioners, ovens, geysers, sanitary wares, plastic goods, completely built-up units of cars and many more such items. His estimate on import of all these items is worth $8 billion.

“A country like Pakistan, which faced 7.5 per cent budget deficit in 2007-08 and is under pressure of a much bigger deficit this fiscal year, carries a debt burden of $44 billion and suffered a staggering trade deficit of over $20 billion during the last fiscal year, just cannot afford import of all such unnecessary items that cost too much,’’ he asserted.

Urging the government to adopt production-oriented policies he wondered as to how Pakistan can be called an agricultural country when wheat worth over $570 million and powder milk worth $70 million were imported last fiscal year.

Conceding that an outright ban on import is a difficult decision in these days of globalisation but the situation warrants such bold decisions to avert an economic collapse.