Surge in tyre smuggling perturbs local industry

The resurgence of smuggled tyres in local markets has perturbed the industry, which attributes the issue to falling imports following the rupee’s devaluation and has urged the government to curb the influx of tyres coming into the country from illegal channels. The chief executive of a key market player has regretted that smuggled tyres of all sizes are now easily available in the market. He lamented that the temporary halt in smuggling activities last year due to government intervention had since reverted to its former state, allowing smugglers to operate with impunity. “The local industry is the backbone of any economy and it’s a primary responsibility of the government to protect and safeguard the local industry’s interests so that in return they can create employment opportunities, pay taxes to the national exchequer and save forex for the country,” Hussain Kuli Khan, CEO of the Ghandhara Tyre and Rubber (GTR) Company Ltd, said in a statement.