By Imtiaz Hussain
SUKKUR: Divisional Forest Officer Afforestation Division Khairpur Hosh Muhammad Shar has proposed imposing a duty on timber and other forest produce in Sindh under Section 39 of the Forest Act, 1927.
In a letter to the Chief Conservator of Forests Riverine and Inland Forests, Sindh, Hyderabad, Shar said the provincial government had the legal authority to impose a duty on both locally produced and imported timber through a notification published in the Official Gazette.
The proposal cites Section 39 of the Forest Act and refers to a Balochistan High Court ruling that upheld the imposition of duty on imported timber under the same provision.
Shar recommended that the Sindh Forest and Wildlife Department prepare a comprehensive proposal for introducing the duty in the province.
The proposal has been forwarded to the relevant authorities for examination and further action in accordance with the law.
