Falling tea imports causing losses, says association

KARACHI: The Pakis­tan Tea Association (PTA) on Saturday claimed that the imposition of Rs1,200 per kg minimum retail price (MRP) has slowed down black tea imports.

PTA Chairman Muham­mad Altaf informed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) that tea imports plunged to 31,651 tonnes ($76 million) during Nove­mber-December aga­inst 40,626 tonnes ($97m) in the corresponding period last year.

The declining imports have caused a revenue loss of Rs3.23 billion to the national exchequer in the first half of FY25.

He warned that if the MRP stays, the loss of revenue to the exchequer will cross Rs10bn by the end of the current fiscal year.

Moreover, he said the misuse of the government’s various exemptions continues unabated on account of Fata/Pata followed by re-export under the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS), gross misuse by undervaluation, underweight, quantity and quality of dry ports facility etc.

He urged the FBR to withdraw the SRO 1736(I)/2024 relating to MRP imposed from Nov 1, 2024, and also limit quantitative imports under Fata/Pata as per their population, which is four million, which means their tea imports to be limited to four million kgs only.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2025