Now the terminals are getting choked due to arrival of import consignments during last few days and the transporters are not ready to lift the export consignments, he added. He said that the trade deficit from July 2016 to April 2017 has already jumped to $26.555 Billion from $18.951 billion of the corresponding period of the last Financial Year ie an increase of 40.12 % and if this trend will continue trade deficit for the current financial year would reach to a record level of about $32 billion.
The SVC said that if the strike would not be called off the industry may lose their export orders due to delayed shipping which will result in the buyers shifting to our competitors in the region leading to closure of our factories. Similarly import consignments are also stuck-up at the ports due to which we are facing severe shortage of raw materials which will also lead to closure of industrial units. Closure of mills would not only affect the economy and the exchange earnings but would increase level of unemployment, he said.
Zahid Mazhar has demanded the Sindh Government to rise to the occasion and protect the industrial and transport activity of the city by seeking immediate attention and directions from the Honourable Sindh High Court for chalking out a plan of movement of heavy traffic so that import and export consignments reach their destinations on time and the exporters and importers may not suffer heavy financial losses. He further demanded the Sindh Government to use the infrastructure cess, imposed on transportation of import and export cargoes, to develop routes for the heavy traffic and also requested the ports to waive the demurrages on imported consignments stuck-up at the ports due to the strike of the transporters.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017