KARACHI: The smuggling of tyres from Bandar Abbas is causing huge loss to the national exchequer, besides the local tyre manufacturing industry and legitimate importers are at a serious disadvantage as the smuggling is going on as ‘Free for All’ without any check and hurdles.
It was known that the smuggling and pilferage of Afghan Transit Trade has been reduced because of the checks and balances and now the goods which land at Bandar Abbas, Iran for transit trade to Afghanistan are being smuggled into Pakistan.
It was known that no import duty, sales tax, income tax, excise Duty or any other levy is paid on these smuggled tyres while the legitimate. Legitimate importers pay around 20 percent to Customs. It may be mentioned here that importers pay around Rs2.7 million of duty and taxes on one container while the smugglers are delivering 4-container load of goods for Rs0.9 million only.
The smugglers have found a unique method as they insert four tyres into one tyre and they only pay freight on board for one container against the quantity of four containers.
It has become next to impossible for importers to earn profits and even the local Industry is facing losses and cutting there productions.
On the other hand it is a big loss to the government exchequer as well. Not only tyres but almost all commercial, non commercial, hazardous and other materials used in all sort of terrorism activities including arms and ammunition etc are smuggled and being sold openly in the local markets.