Marble body seeks govt support

Islamabad : All Pakistan Marble Industries Association (APMI) on Tuesday sought government’s support for development of this industry that has potential to earn multi-billion dollars for the country through exports.

The APMI Chairman Sheikh Mohammad Rizwan, in a formal meeting of its newly elected top office bearers and executive committee members, said that if the government cooperates, the marble industry can bring billions of dollars in foreign exchange to the country by promoting exports of marble and granite products as the industry has immense potential.

It Senior Vice Chairman Babar Habib, Vice Chairman (North) Ali Akbar, Vice Chairman (South) Muhammad Nazir were also present.

APMI chairman demanded of the government to pay special attention to the development of the marble & granite industry, which will lead to rapid recovery of the economy. He further said that the construction industry has been given relief in sales tax. The marble industry should also be given relief package in sales tax. This will make it easier for the government to collect sales tax from every marble factory in Pakistan.

He said, in the budget 2020/21, like other SME industries, government has failed to provide relief to the marble industry in the fixed sales tax scheme, while this scheme was very successful from July 2016 to June 2019. Rizwan expressed his determination to play his full role in safeguarding the interests of the industrialists associated with the marble sector.

Former chairman of the association Muhammad Shakeel Munir, while expressing his views, said that Pakistan’s marble and granite sector has the potential to eliminate unemployment. It can generate jobs for local and non-local people. He said that Pakistan has the largest variety of marble and granite which needs to be appreciated throughout the world.