ISLAMABAD, July 16: The government has decided to remove various anomalies specially relating to import of capital equipment and some other raw materials.

Official sources said here on Tuesday that the anomalies committee headed by secretary general, Finance, Moeen Afzal briefed Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and Minister for Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood about various anomalies being experienced in the budget for 2002-2003. The secretary ministry of production and industries was also present on the occasion.

The sources said that there had been adjustments and readjustments in 3,000 items in the budget including removal of a number of SROs that created certain anomalies, which needed to be rectified.

And Tuesday meeting dealt with half of those conflicting SROs, and a final decision about them will be taken in the next meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC).

The sources said that a decision has been taken to remove anomaly which related to the import of capital equipment, some raw materials and on some smuggled-pronged items.

“The government has accepted a number of demands of the business community to remove various anomalies,” a source said adding that there will be another meeting of the anomalies committee shortly to decide about the remaining SROs being contested by the business community.

The sources said that removal of various anomalies will help reduce tariff thus reducing the cost of importing various items and raw materials.

The sources said both the ministers were of the opinion that the genuine grievances of the businessmen should be removed with a view to create greater business and economic activity.

The finance minister particularly said that the purpose of the new budget was to facilitate the people and not to create problems for them.