Call to end Pakistan levies

Pakistan's National Shipowners' Association has called for the scrapping of import levies and duties on imported ships to boost the number of vessels registering under the Pakistan flag, the Lloyd's List says.

The shipping daily quoted the president of the association, Masood Baghpatee, as saying that levies should be eliminated to match the practice in other countries.

He said the current import levy rates of 38 per cent on the vessel price had resulted in a lack of interest from Pakistani and foreign investors in registering their vessels in Pakistan.