KARACHI, March 20: Though the city government seemed quite successful in imposing strenuous ban on polythene bags, it has failed to offer incentives to the manufacturers to switch over to production of paper or cloth bags.

If taxes on paper used for making bags are waived off or at least some relief provided, the use of paper bag would increase to substantial level, as paper bags currently used by shopkeepers are not cost-effective.

According to estimates around 3 million people are directly and indirectly related to polythene bag manufacturing industry and they are facing uncertain future after imposition of ban on plastic bags with less than 30 microns thickness.

A survey revealed that after ban on polythene bags, vegetable sellers were insisting customers to bring straw baskets with them while confectioners and roadside vendors had started using paper instead of plastic bags.

It is generally observed that not only shopkeepers, but also citizens were facing difficulties due to ban on polythene bags.

Manufactures of polythene bags said that if relief in import taxes on paper was provided by the government than they could manufacture paper bags at lesser prices as to promote their use.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Pasban Sindh president Rafique Ahmed Khaskheli and Pasban Karachi president Syed Ashraf Hussain urged the government to provide special concession on import duty on paper to promote paper bags besides usage of cloth bags. They said concrete steps were required to save over 3 million people belonging to polythene bag industry from unemployment.—PPI