LAHORE, April 15: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday called for barter trade with Iran as smuggling was not only widening the trade deficit but also causing a huge loss to the exchequer.

LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar was talking to a 10-member Pakistan Plastic Manufacturers Association delegation that called on him under the leadership of LCCI executive committee member Mahmood Gazanvi and comprising executive committee member S M Tariq, the association's president Mohammad Shoaib and others.

After energy shortage, he said, smuggling had now started taking its toll on businesses; therefore, government should utilise all available resources to weed out this menace, besides starting barter trade with Iran to eliminate smuggling. —APP