ISLAMABAD, July 29: Tax authorities and car dealers on Thursday failed to develop a consensus on the controversial Customs General Order (CGO) issued recently by the Central Board of Revenue for import of cars.

Talking to Dawn on Thursday night, All Pakistan Motors Dealers Association (APMDA) chairman H.M. Shahzad blamed the CBR for being reluctant to introduce amendments in the CGO to facilitate business.

He said that following the failure of the meeting, it was decided to convene a meeting of the association's managing committee on August 1 to chalk out a future course of action.

The APMDA held a day-long meeting with CBR chairman M. Abdullah Yousuf, member customs Ramzan Bhatti and other senior customs officials for reaching an understanding on the CGO.

Mr Shahzad said his association had also requested the CBR to make an extension in the CGO 12 of 2002 for at least three months so that all of around 6,000 cars that had already reached ports or were in the pipeline should be cleared according to old procedures.

He says the association will also take up the issue with Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday when he visits the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "The local assemblers are very strong due to which the tax authorities are reluctant to make any changes in the CGO," he remarked.

He said MQM parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Farooq Sattar had also given an assurance to the association that all his party MNAs would take up the issue with the authorities concerned for consideration. Member customs was not available for an official comment on the outcome of the meeting, despite several telephone calls to his office by Dawn.