ISLAMABAD, March 24: The Split Leather Gloves Manufacturers Group of Pakistan (SLGMGP) has urged the government to take immediate steps for arresting the constant decline in the export of the leather gloves.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday SLGMGP president Abdul Shakoor Mirza termed the major decline in export of leather gloves due to excessive export of split leather to various countries particularly to China.

He was addressing a press conference following a meeting with Secretary Commerce Tasneem Noorani here on Thursday.

This massive export of split leather to China, the president said resulted into creation of shortage of the raw leather for its subsequent use in the manufacturing of leather gloves in the country.

Secondly, the prices of split leather according to the president increased manifold, which ultimately decreased the competitive edge of the Pakistani leather gloves in the international market, he said.

The gloves industry employs thousands of labourers and technician, he said and added in case no immediate measures were taken by the government for seeking an amicable solution to the problem, this might result into major laying offs in the sector.

The president said that the problem has arisen because of permission to export raw leather including split leather in the trade policy of 2004-05.

Due to this permission, the president said people has started exporting split leather to China in a greater quantity which resulted into shortage of the commodity for the manufacturing of leather gloves locally.