ISLAMABAD, July 19: The government has authorized Central Board of Revenue and Narcotics Control Division to issue permission to industries for import of various kinds of chemicals.

The decision was announced in the trade policy 2003-04 announced here on Saturday.

Presently, import of chemical precursors having dual uses like acetone and propanone, acetic anhydride, acetyl chloride etc., are importable by the concerned industrial consumers who have been cleared by the Narcotics Control Division.

The import of these chemicals would now be allowed on the joint recommendation of Narcotics Control Division and CBR.

Import of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, ergomentrine, etc., will be allowed, to the concerned industrial consumer also on their recommendation, as these drugs are internationally controlled substances and are required to be regulated through issuance of import authorization.

The licenced manufacturers cannot be allowed to import these materials without quantitative restriction. Presently these chemicals are importable by only those pharmaceutical units having drugs manufacturing licence.

The import of all narcotics drugs and substances will be now made on the recommendation of ministry of health as these drugs are internationally controlled substances and are required to be regulated through the issuance of import authorization. The licenced pharmaceutical manufacturers cannot be allowed to import these materials without quantitative restriction.

According to International Agency of Research in Cancer (IARC) arsenic and arsenic compounds are carcinogenic. The US EPA has classified arsenic compounds viz-arsenic disulfide arsenic per oxide, arsenic trichloride, arsenic triodide and arsenic trisulfide as hazardous substances.

In order to monitor and regulate the import of arsenic and arsenic compounds, the import of arsenic and arsenic compounds will be restricted to concerned industrial consumers who have valid licenses issued by the concerned EPAs/EPD under PEPA 1997.