Ministry of Commerce & Textile (MOC&T) has all set to amend the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1950 (XXXIX of 1950), while extending the date of printing labels on imported items in Urdu and English till June 30, 2019.

According to the SRO 438 (1)/2019, the government amending the earlier SRO 237 dated February 19, 2019, has said that the new directives will take effect from the 1st of July, 2019.

The fresh SRO also said that the consignments being imported shall have 50% (fifty per cent) of the shelf life, calculated from the date of filing of Import General Manifest (IGM) instead of 66 % (2/3rd) of the shelf life remaining from the date of manufacturing.

Pakistan FMCG Importers Association (PFIA) Chairman Anjum Nisar and Vice Chairman Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer welcoming the new order of the Ministry of Commerce & Textile has urged the government that the SRO 237 should be withdrawn completely. It has created numerous problems for the commercial importers.

They said that all items being imported by the commercial importers or FMCG sector are daily use items. These are high quality and hygienic food items which are not luxury goods and these should not be subjected to such treatment. They said that the government should declare the earlier issued notification as null and void and facilitate this trade which is contributing millions of rupees in the government exchequer and providing jobs to hundreds of thousands directly and indirectly.

Published on : 10-04-2019

Source: Daily Times