KARACHI, March 16: The Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) has sought exemption from customs duty and sales tax levied on import of sports equipment and at the same time called for issuing notification in gazette.

The PTTF plans to import duty and sales tax free equipment of the game worth approximately Rs34.25 million in seven phases under a comprehensive four-year plan to promote the game at the grassroots level, top hierarchy of the PTTF said in a communication to ministry of finance and revenue.

The sports goods would either come through International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) or Commonwealth Table Tennis Association.

In a letter copy of which was secured by Dawn, S. M. Sibtain says the PTTF has prepared a comprehensive four-year plan (July 2005-June 2009) which is aimed at popularising and promoting the standard of players.

PTTF will also ensure quality coaching from grassroots to national level, training of referees, promoting competition at schools, clubs, districts, provinces national and international levels.

To accomplish the task, PTTF would have to ensure availability of equipment such as court mats, court dividers, tables, nets and posts, scorers, balls, racket-woods, racket-rubbers, and glue at the rates affordable by lower middle class players because invariably all outstanding players are produced by this class.

Pakistani manufacturers, it says, are only manufacturing club level tables and not the other gear required for the game. The PTTF plans to use domestic tables at schools and clubs level besides encouraging manufacturers to manufacture other equipment as well.

The market price of imported equipment is beyond the capacity of most of the promising players.

The letter further pointed out that customs duty on Skiing, Roving and Golf equipment is 10 per cent while it is 20 per cent on table tennis equipment.

It went on to say that table tennis is not a professional game. It is an Olympic sport and players who strive to excel add to the prestige of nation by bringing laurels from international competitions.

Following is the phase-wise plan of import of equipment.

First phase Rs2.50m; second phase Rs5.00m; third phase Rs5.25m; fourth phase Rs5.30m; fifth phase Rs5.35m; sixth phase Rs5.40m seventh phase Rs5.45m.