ISLAMABAD: As the dollar crisis deepens and strong reaction is beginning to appear from almost all sectors of the economy, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday reiterated that government will facilitate all exporters, including five previously zero-rated sectors, for the import of raw material, parts and accessories to meet their requirements.

Mr Dar took to Twitter to announce that the export industry was one of the highest priorities of the PMLN-led coalition government.

He added that the five zero-rated export-oriented sectors and all other exporters will be given complete facilitation for the import of raw materials, parts and accessories to meet their export requirements.

Mr Dar had made a similar announcement in recent times amid serious concerns by the industrialists that they were failing to open letters of credit (LCs) as the commercial banks had declined to honour their requests.

Recently even the energy and the telecom sector had written letters to their respective ministries that they wanted to import essential goods and equipment but the banks were not facilitating them.

Apart from the industrial raw material including technical and electronic parts a large number of containers loaded with food items were stuck up at the ports but the importers cannot clear them as the banks were not opening the LCs.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2023