ISLAMABAD, Aug 20: A public hearing will be held at the National Tariff Commission (NTC) here on September 5 to consider the local crockery industry’s request for tax concessions on the import of its raw materials.

The concessions demanded by the industry, according to NTC announcement here Tuesday, included: duty-free import of china clay and other inputs

of porcelain tableware-crockery; reduction of sales tax on local production of crockery from 15 per cent to 5 per cent; and imposition of 10 per cent regulatory duty on imported crockery.

In this connection, Cera-e-Noor (a division of Hashwani Hotels Ltd.), in its petition sent to the Commission, had contended that while customs duty on import of china clay, which is one of the main raw materials used for the manufacture of crockery, had been reduced by 5 per cent in the 2002-03 budget, the same duty reduction also needed to be applied to other raw materials such as bentonite clay, ball clay, potash flespar, plaster of paris, transfers, saggers and optapix-G.

The Commission has invited the views and suggestions from all parties having interest in the business.

They have been directed to send their comments etc. to the Secretary of the Commission within 10 days.