| GEO Business | | Tea smuggling causing loss of billions to local market | Updated at: 1825 PST, Saturday, April 25, 2009
 KARACHI: The local markets of tea are facing loss amounting to billions of rupees as a result of tea being smuggled to Pakistan from Afghanistan.
According to Pakistan Tea Association, the country’s total tea consumption stands at 175 million kilograms. Out of this 100 million kgs are imported through government channels while the rest that is 75 million kgs is smuggled to Pakistan from Afghanistan.
This causes a loss of Rs5.5 billion to the local importers of tea, it said.
The association has called for immediate attention of the government to the issue and demanded withdrawal of 10 per cent import duty on tea to resolve the problem. |  |
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