MULTAN City News

APBUMA chairman demands

immediate payment of outstanding refunds

From Our Correspondent

MULTAN: All Pakistan Bedsheet and Upholstery Manufacturers Association chairman Syed Muhammad Asim Shah has demanded immediate payment of outstanding refunds without any discrimination for better export growth.

Talking here on Friday, Syed Muhammad Asim Shah expressed concern over delay of payments of refunds and said that massive working capital of textile exporters around 30pc was still blocked in sales tax, custom duty drawback and income tax refunds, which was the major cause of exports decline. He said that the government should revive ‘No Tax No Refund’ scheme for the export-oriented sectors as the cost of production had increased, resulting in decline in textile exports. He lauded the government’s intentions to resolve the refund issue by giving assurance of payment of refunds upto Rs 5 million. Asim Shah urged the government to pay all outstanding refunds without any limit. He termed the value added textile sector as the backbone of the economy with great potential for earning foreign exchange. Concerning over continuous export decline, he said that competing countries were rapidly multiplying their exports just because of the edge they had on the cost of doing business and other incentives offered by their governments. Pragmatic policies in consultation with stakeholders need to be formulated to reduce the cost of business by fixing rates of inputs in line with competing countries in the global market to create a level playing field, he suggested. The APBUMA chairman demanded the government bail out textile industry and exports from financial crisis by removing all hurdles.

OVER 3,000 HELPED BY RESCUE 1122 IN MARCH: The Rescue 1122 teams rescued and provided help to more than 3,000 people in the district in March.

It was told by District Emergency Officer Dr Ejaz Anjum while addressing a meeting here on Friday. Ejaz Anjum said that 1,122 people were injured in accidents and other incidents including, fire, building collapse and crime, adding that they were shifted immediately to hospitals besides providing them emergency first aid on the spot. He said that the Rescue 1122 responded 3,059 emergency cases and rescued 3,153 victims with the average response time of below than six minutes in the district. As many as 1,182 accidents were reported besides 41 fire incidents, 85 scuffle and crime incidents, one drown, one building collapse and two cylinder blasts in March, he added. The Rescue 1122 provided first aid to 715 victims while 110 victims failed to survive on the spot and died in March, he informed. Rescue 1122 Emergency Officer Dr Kaleemullah, Dr Khalid Mahmood, Eng Ahmed Kamal, control room incharge Mudassar Zia, Rescue and Safety Officer Muhammad Imtiaz, all rescue centers incharges and others were also present.