A notification under SRO- 621(1) 2004 dated July 15, provides that all the freight forwarders and Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs) will charge and collect a CED of Rs 200 from the shippers on every House Bill of Lading, issued by the shipping companies.
Accordingly, the freight forwarders and the NVOCCs informed the exporters that keeping in view the CBR's directive, the CED charges would be included in their invoice with immediate effect.
The Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association (PBEA) has resented the levy of the CED on bill of lading, which would adversely affect the exports.
PBEA founder Chairman Shabbir Ahmed said on Tuesday that the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) had announced schemes in the new trade policy to reduce cost of the business in Pakistan, while the CBR was continuously loading the exports with new levies.
Citing instances, he said the exporters had to pay overtime charges for filing shipping bill after normal working hours. Similarly, they had to pay overtime charges for presenting the export cargo at Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT) after 6 pm on the last loading days, he added.
Shabbir said that on the international front, the exporters were compelled to pay additional import duty due to withdrawal of Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) as well as dumping duty on the exports to Europe.
Instead of providing relief to the exporters at the home front, the CBR was trying to generate maximum revenue from the exporters, who were the source of earning foreign exchange for the country, he added.