Agha Shahab seeks ‘Special Policy’ to save importers from severe losses

KARACHI: President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan has urged concerned government authorities to come up with some kind of a special policy to save the importers of goods and commodities from suffering severe losses due to ban imposed on imports from China because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Agha Shahab in a statement urged the relevant authority to issues notification in which the port authorities and all terminal operators must be advised to refrain from imposing demurrage and incarceration charges on those consignments which have already reached at Pakistan’s ports from other countries as China was not being handed over to concerned.

He said that many importers while seeking KCCI’s assistance, informed that their imported consignments from China have been put on hold at the ports in order to prevent the outbreak of deadly coronavirus in Pakistan which has terribly affected capital of Hubei province, Wuhan and resulted in hundreds of casualties so far besides spreading further in more than 20 countries.

He said that they have fully understood the sensitivity of the issue and support the government’s moves to save Pakistan from the outbreak of the COVID-19, however, the importers should not be penalized and relief has to be provided to the perturbed traders by waiving the demurrage and detention charges, he added.

He said that out of a total bilateral trade of around US$12 billion between Pakistan and China, around US$6 billion has been transacted so far but the downfall in trade would certainly appear by the end of current fiscal year and US$12 billion mark will not be achieved due to complete suspension of trade between the two countries.

KCCI President further said that the lethal outbreak of various has been quickly spreading in across the globe including some countries bordering Pakistan hence, the government will have to take stringent steps to save Pakistan from the eruption of deadly diseases.

He hoped that the relevant departments would realize the gravity of the situation and relief will soon be provided to the importers as soon as possible by urging the port authorities not to demand any demurrage and detention charges from those importers whose goods were arriving from China which would certainly be welcomed.