LAHORE - Pakistan FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) Importers Association (PFIA) has appealed the government and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to waive all demurrages/detention charges and penal interest levied on imported goods kept in bonded warehouses due to the lockdown clamped by provincial governments. Lockdown, delays in clearance of cargo and reduced banking hours may incur heavy demurrages charged by port authorities and private terminal operations while shipping lines/agents will impose container detention charges after the standard free time allowed, feared PFIA Vice Chairman Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer. He said that a large number of containers have stuck on port awaiting clearance due to lockdown announced by Sindh and other governments. Even if they are cleared there is dearth of transport despite the fact there is no ban on goods transportation. Importers have to suffer huge losses if these containers are not cleared and they have to pay demurrages and detention charges. He appealed the SBP that import documents sent by the principles of importers are not reaching the banks in Pakistan on time, so the banks must be asked to clear such cases on the basis of photocopies of documents.
He said that the banks should also be allowed DA payments against documents to the FMCG sector instead of cash against documents.