KARACHI, Oct 18: At a time when thousands of people of the quake-hit areas are in dire need of blankets, local blanket makers are not happy with the government’s decision of allowing duty-free import of blankets to meet the burgeoning demand for the quake victims.
They claimed that the current emergency requirement had been met, as the government, NGOs and relief organizations had collected more than 350,000 pieces of blankets, comforters, etc., from local manufacturers for the affected people.
They said that more than 150,000 blankets had so far reached the Chaklala airbase by special flights from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Indonesia, Iran, Libya, Japan and other countries.
According to rough estimates, they said, the general public had donated more than 500,000 used/new blankets, comforters and other winter wrappings directly or through local relief camps and organizations.
“The cry for blankets will settle down once the relief goods traffic is cleared and transit goods reach the destinations. There is no shortage of blankets, but the problem is that of logistics at the moment,” the convenor, committee of blanket units, Pakistan Woollen Mills Alliance, M. Junaid Nawab, informed the government through a letter on October 17.
He pointed out that a short-term future demand could be met by the local industry, which was capable of supplying 100,000-200,000 pieces of blankets every week.
Mr Nawab said the local makers had concerns over the duty-free import of blankets from India and other countries. The industry, he said, felt that the decision would not provide any relief to the quake stricken people, as it was not restricted to relief agencies.
“Traders would exploit (once in a lifetime) the opportunity by importing huge quantities to reap profits in the years to come, as they have already sold fancy blanket stocks at a market plus price. They will now replenish with cheaper imports by paying no duties and under no obligation will supply the same to the victims,” he noted.
Mr Nawab claimed that the duty-free import of blankets would eventually create an anomaly, as imports of raw material, dyes, chemicals, packing materials, etc., were subject to duties varying from five to 25 per cent, which would render the local products (blankets, quilts and comforters) uncompetitive no matter how short time the facility was planned. He said the industry would collapse, rendering thousands of people jobless.
The alliance has urged the government to ensure that the duty on blanket remained at 25 per cent in line with all finished goods. It also demanded that the import blanket should be restricted only to relief agencies, NGOs, etc.
