MULTAN City News

Cotton assessment committee’s claims refuted

From Our Correspondent

MULTAN: Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) chairman Shahzad Ali Khan Wednesday refuted claims of central cotton assessment committee that Pakistan would achieve approximately 13 million bales of cotton in the coming season.

Talking to journalists, Shahzad said agricultural scientists failed to evolve new varieties of cotton.

He accused the government of its failure in supplying virus, pest and heat resistant and well germinated seed for cotton.

Shahzad did not agree with the findings of the 4th meeting of Federal Textile Board (FTB) that Pakistan has recovered its cotton losses from last year and expected to achieve approximately 13 million bales of cotton in the coming season. He said in their separate submissions, the PCGA and Cotton Commissioner informed that through close coordination between the federal government and the Punjab government the Pink bollworm that had damaged the cotton crop last year that have largely been controlled. Shahzad said the government did not entertain their recommendations to increase the cotton production to 20 million bales by taking all stakeholders into confidence. He reiterated his demand that the government should not allow shifting sugar mills in cotton core areas and the government should announce an attracted package and incentives for farmers to bring maximum area under cotton otherwise Pakistan would have to import cotton by spending Rs 40 to 50 billion per annum.

SALES TAX FACILITY NEEDED FOR TEXTILE MILLS: The business community of Southern Punjab has urged the government to grant sales tax zero-rating facility to textile mills by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on electricity consumption so that they could heave a sigh of relief.

Talking to reporters, Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Fareed Mughis Sheikh said that a large number of cases of textile sector pertaining to sales tax zero-rating on electricity consumption to the FBR are lying pending without assigning any reason, which need a speedy issuance of facility to the said sector. He said the FBR should implement on the recommendation of Senate Standing Committee on Textile Industry. In this respect, refund payment orders (RPOs) have been issued before June 3, it was recommended that the government should focus on introducing latest seed technology and certified seeds should be distributed to the growers in order to increase per acre yield, the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) was directed to provide its administrative cost along with budgetary allocation to the committee, enactment of Plant Breeders Act should be done on priority.