Import ban: Have Pakistanis developed an 'attitude problem' to local products?

Since the government placed a ban on the import of non-essential and luxury items, the decade-long debate among Pakistanis on which imported products are essential and which are non-essential has once again reignited.

In this scenario, there are some citizens who think global and buy local, but then there are some who, unfortunately, tilt in favour of buying imported items over local.

An average urban middle class Pakistani behaves like a typical rational customer — they go for the best deal in the market.

This preference to pay a premium for anything not made in Pakistan, reasoning that most imported products are “critical necessities” has existed for years.

People believe that Pakistan doesn’t produce quality pet food or chocolates, or manufacture a sufficient number of automobiles to meet the local demand.

Some would say it seems Pakistanis have developed an "attitude problem" when it comes to homemade products. Everything foreign-made is fantastic, and everything made locally is just not “good enough”.

Read more: Which items has the government banned?

Such a bias has its ramifications. Since long, by satisfying the craving for non-essential products via imports and believing that local alternatives will never be as good, the public doesn't offer domestic industries a chance to experiment and develop quality in areas they may be able to. 

This perpetuates a cycle where foreign industries dominate the domestic market and it helps nudge the economy down a spiral where imports continue to outpace exports and we face a situation where we continue to borrow from international markets to pay them back for their products and services — some of which we don’t need.

Read more: 'Absurd', 'too easy', experts on government banning luxury imports

Keeping this situation in view, the continuous depreciation of the rupee and the depleting foreign exchange reserves the government last month decided to impose a ban on 38 non-essential and luxury items but later had to issue a clarification while withdrawing some items from the list. However, the government has been exploring alternatives to further restrict imports in the upcoming federal budget, with plans to ban more luxury products and put more items on the regulatory duty list under consideration.

Geo.tv reached out to local consumers to gauge their take on the recent import ban by the new government and the reason why they prefer imported products over locally-manufactured goods.

A man residing in Karachi, who wished not to be named, said the quality of imported products is “exponentially better” than the ones being manufactured locally, which are "not good enough" -- may it shampoo, tissue paper, or kitchenware.

Read more: Sanitary pads, diapers' raw material import not banned, Miftah Ismail clarifies

The Karachiite added that people who were used to such products — which are “critical necessities” for them — had started hoarding them, which led to several stores imposing a one product for one person policy.

“We need quality goods,” he said, urging the government to revisit its decision at the earliest as these products were "not that much of a burden to the national exchequer".

Meanwhile, Shahjahan Khurram, a resident of Islamabad complained that the exercise by the government to improve the quality of local products by banning imports “unfortunately won't play out well practically.”

“To produce quality-oriented local products that compete in standard with imported items, the government will have to subsidise local industries and ensure quality checks, which I don't see happening shortly,” he stated, adding that Pakistani manufacturers will have their work cut out for them when they compete against imported chocolates, drinks, makeup brands, vehicles and other items.

Among these few people also believe that the decision is somewhat correct; however. It has been taken at the wrong time. Speaking to Geo.tv, on the condition of anonymity, another resident of Karachi said that he supports this move “but it came at a wrong time.”

Read more: Which other items have the govt exempted from import ban?

Elaborating further, he said that now there is a threat that other nations would reduce trading with us. “India has already stopped due to conflict. And since the decision has been taken abruptly, local companies do not have space to enhance output to fulfil the gap created in the market.”

“Due to inflation and supply constraints, local industries are unable to increase production. This will only cause more inflation. The step is good but it should have been taken before the outbreak of COVID-19.