I through your esteemed newspaper would like to highlight a very important issue the government should take notice of — smuggling of used tyres. Used tyres are considered an environmental hazard in developed economies. In the tyre industry there is an adage that says “never purchase a used tyre whose history you don’t know”.
These used tyres are also carriers of epidemic diseases, as last year the government claimed that used tyres are habitats of Dengue mosquitoes.
But, no serious action has been taken against the importers of these unsafe used tyres. Apart from other threats, the illegal import (smuggling) of used tyres is making the government incur heavy losses. Through this malpractice used tyres find their way into the market, fill in a certain portion of the demand and thereby forcing the legal importers to import less and the local industry to produce less.
On both accounts the government loses plausible revenues. If smuggling continues, the repercussions will be even more severe in the days to come.
I therefore strongly request to the government of Pakistan that it should take serious actions to put a halt on this smuggling, because it is beneficial only to smugglers, custom officials, and the retailers.
ABU BAKAR KAREEM
Karachi
