PESHAWAR: All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association has urged the government to expel the Afghan nationals or impose tax on their business because in the prevailing situation the local exporters will be unable to compete with them.

The APCEA in a statement here on Monday said that Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan had full grip on the business of precious and semi-precious stones but they were not paying any kind of tax.

On the other hand, it said, the local exporters had to pay various taxes and were unable to get contracts of mines in the country.

The foreign traders of precious stones, it said, were becoming a strong mafia as they were not paying taxes to the government. It added that in case of any checking by the revenue officials, the foreign traders could easily cross the border to avoid legal action.

The APCEA demanded of the government to support the local exporters by awarding contracts of local mines to them as it would help to generate revenue for the country and play an effective role in the creation of jobs as well.

It said that the local exporters had suffered heavily due to militancy and vague tax policy of the successive governments during the past many years.

The exporters urged the federal government to take appropriate steps for honourable repatriation of Afghan nationals so that the officials of the relevant departments could support the local exporters and collect taxes from the traders.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2018