SIALKOT, Aug 1: Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Tahir Majid Kapur has expressed his grave concern over the reduction in duty drawback rates on export of sports goods by the CBR through SRO dated July 20, 2004.

Talking to newsmen here on Sunday, he said this would give a big blow to the sports goods industry which was already hit badly by some internal and external "pressures."

He said after the 9/11, the industry had been facing hard times. He said instead of offering support, the Central Board of Revenue had slashed the already low duty drawback rate, which would have a crippling effect on the industry.

Mr Kapur said the industry was facing a tough competition in the international market and the government's policies should help exporters instead of withdrawing the existing facility. He said the prices of products were settled mutually with the foreign buyers well before the execution of orders by keeping in view the rate of duty drawback.

The SCCI president was of the view that with the cut in duty drawback rates, the exporters would not be able to honour their commitments against the prices quoted to the foreign buyers before the reduction of rates. He urged the federal commerce minister to intervene and rescue the industry by reverting to the old duty drawback rates.

WEATHER SYSTEM: The 25-year-old weather measurement system at the Sialkot meteorological office, which went out of order last year, has yet to be replaced or rectified.

The Met office is unable to record correct information about rains and flood situation from all the catchment areas in the neighbouring occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Malik Shafqat Elahi, a sub-engineer at the office, told this correspondent on Saturday that the system had been out of order for the last year and it had yet to be replaced.

However, he said, the department was making efforts to replace the system in collaboration with the federal flood commission, which had already floated tenders. The local office was unable to directly record measurement of rainfalls. The Lahore Met office was helping it by expanding its network for the time being.

POWER SUSPENSION: Electricity supply remained suspended for several hours on Sunday at Daska City due to some technical fault in Glotiyaan-Daska grid station, causing inconvenience to the people.

CASE REGISTERED: On the orders of Daska Additional District & Sessions Judge Mubeen Ahmad Malik, the city police have registered a case against Civil Hospital Medical Officer Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Chaudhry for not giving a proper treatment to a patient, Ali Ejaz, of Hafizabad.