KARACHI: The 20 per cent increase in import duty coupled with 10-37pc anti-dumping duties on sanitary wares and tiles will push up construction cost by 12-15pc per square metre.

Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Saturday, All Pakistan Tiles and Sanitary Merchants Association (APTSMA) Chairman Amin Lasania said the the government on Oct 16 raised the regulatory duty on the imports of tiles and sanitary wares to 45pc from 25pc.

“The total duty and taxes on imports of these items have swelled to an all-time high of 135pc from 83pc,” he deplored. Mr Amin said the organised sector of tiles and sanitary wares could only meet local demand of 25-30pc while the rest is met through imports.

He said short-term revenue generation policies of the tax authorities were hurting the businesses.

He urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the National Tariff Commission (NTC) to immediately withdraw their notifications otherwise importers, wholesalers and retailers of tiles and sanitary wares will resort to shut down their businesses.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2017