At least half of the more than 2,000 approved permits (APs) for various products should be abolished as they are no longer valid for various reasons, says International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) deputy secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Ismail.
He said the ministry had prepared a Cabinet paper after completing a comprehensive review of the APs.
“All the ministries have given their inputs whether to maintain or remove the APs.
“We hope to present the paper to the Cabinet before the end of the month,’’ he told reporters after the opening of the Sarawak Domestic Investment dialogue and seminar in Kuching yesterday.
Kamaruddin said Malaysia had some 10,000 tariff lines, of which more than 2,000 attracted APs.
“Some of the APs are not serving their purpose anymore. So, we have to look at the reasons why we impose AP for whatever products; maybe because we want to protect the local industry that is producing those products for the last 20 years.
“Some of the ministries would want the APs to be maintained for whatever reasons. It is up to the ministries concerned to recommend to the Cabinet why they want to maintain or remove the APs,’’ he said.
Kamaruddin said for the APs that were introduced to protect the local industries, the authorities had to study and consider whether these industries could face the competition now.
He said some of the APs were intended for international commitments, and for security, environmental and health reasons.
Earlier at the dialogue chaired by International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Jacob Sagan, Kamaruddin expressed hope that APs that no longer served the purpose should be removed.
He was replying to a call by the Sarawak Manufacturers’ Association that the Government should consider abolishing APs on imports of wheat that was needed to make food products for export.
By JACK WONG
jackwong@thestar.com.my
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