SIALKOT: The ninedays long strike of the goods transporters have yet caused a big financial loss of US$ 600 million to Sialkot industries, fearing further great financial losses to the exportoriented Sialkot city, as more than 250 large sized containers carrying export products were still struck in Hyderabad and interSindh.
President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry SCCI Sheikh Abdul Majeed disclosed this while addressing an important press conference held at SCCI Auditorium here Wednesday. The heads of Sialkot’s all the main trade bodies were also present on this occasion.
SCCI President added that the Sialkot exporters were unable to timely dispatch their export consignments to the foreign destinations due to this prolonged strike of the goods transporters, as 250 containers from Sialkot carrying the export goods worth millions of US dollars were still struck in interSindh and this nasty situation has yet resulted into a great financial loss of US$ 600 million to Sialkot industries.
The said strike today entered into the twelfth consecutive day. The goods transporters are on strike since December 4, 2012 for an indefinite period against hijacking of trucks, detention of vehicles and mistreatment of motorway and highway police.
During this important meeting the heads of the Sialkot’s all the main trade bodies has expressed grave concern over this prolonged strike.
They emphasized that the vehicles carrying export cargo from upcountry are not allowed to reach the ports at Karachi causing missing of scheduled vessels. They added that the exports sector has suffered heavy losses due to this strike which has rendered the exporters unable to meet the export commitments.
The working in exports sector virtually came to halt as almost nothing could be transported from the industrial units to port in the last eight days, which also resulted in the expiry of L/Cs of major number of exporters, they revealed he added.
SCCI President narrated that the irony of it is that people concerned have not come forward to resolve the issue. The shipping lines schedules are disrupted and billions of rupees loss to the economy and millions of dollars orders are held up, he revealed.
He sought immediate intervention of Minister of Commerce and Industry to resolve the issues of Goods Transporters but nothing has been done so far, he mentioned.