LAHORE: All Pakistan Wire and Cables Association (APWCA) has welcomed the imposition of 30 per cent regulatory duty (RD) on the export of brass and copper scrap and termed it as an industry-friendly decision.
In a statement, APWCA Chairman Haji Latif and General Secretary Malik Muhammad Anwar said that export of brass and copper scrap at a vast scale was causing a shortage of important inputs for sanitary fittings, hardware/kitchenware, copper wire manufacturers, surgical equipment manufacturers and various other important industries. They said that due to shortage of raw materials, some industrial units in Lahore, Gujranwala and other cities closed down their operations. They said that most of them were working in the category of cottage industry whose bread and butter was dependent on their day-to-day production.
They said that imposition of 30 per cent RD would move things in right directions, giving energy to the local industries and saving employment of thousands.
They further added that sanitary fittings, hardware/kitchenware, copper wire manufacturers, surgical equipment manufacturers are consuming a large quantity of brass/copper scrap as their primary raw material and produce contemporary sanitary fitting products after making substantial value addition. They reiterated that there are hundreds of thousands of households directly or indirectly associated with this industry.
