Automobile manufacturers hindering regulation efforts: EDB
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Engineering Development Board (EDB) said on Friday that it was facing difficulties to regulate the manufacturing/assembly in automobile sector through a deletion programme, due to non-cooperation of PAMA, the official body of auto sector.
The EDB working under Ministry of Industries, Production and Special Initiative in a press release issued by Imdad Ahmed Mian, Editor, Industrial Bulletin alleged that PAMA had refused to speak for its members in the last meeting of Indigenization Committee held in Islamabad on Saturday.
“The government wants to move to Tariff Based System (TBS) at the earliest. As per decision of cabinet in 1995 it has to shift from prevailing product specific to a HS Code based tariff system. But these efforts have been frustrated by PAMA”, the statement said.
Its members are divided on the basis of type of vehicle produced, the EDB statement said adding, while each car producer wants to be treated differently from the other they want different levels of deletion for each model.
As a representative body PAMA needs to make efforts to narrow differences among its members and present a common view point as done by the vendors body PAAPAM, the EDB Editor said.
Contrary to this diversification, PAMA had shown unity on demand made to government through press advertisements against liberalization of imports under baggage scheme, he said.
Naturally, the government is interested to offer one window operation to auto sector and would like to deal with PAMA rather than individual companies, he further said.
If PAMA is unable to bring its members on one platform then the commercial vehicle manufacturers, tractor manufacturers may decide to form their own industry association, but the car sector would still need a common platform in its contacts with the government, the EDB’s Editor for Industrial Bulletin concluded.