Govt asked to stop duty free import of cotton

MULTAN: Growers have urged the government to halt duty free import of cotton as they have started picking fresh cotton crop. The growers also demanded the government withdraw sales tax and custom duty on cotton import because it would kill the ginning industry as well as growers.

Talking to journalists here on Friday, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association chairman Mian Javed Sohail said that import of duty free cotton was disastrous for domestic cotton growers.

The ginners had kept bulk stock of cotton bales in the godowns and the import of duty free cotton would reduce prices of domestic cotton stock, he told. He said that the ginners would not be able to pay growers rates after the import of duty free cotton. The duty free import of cotton would harmful to dispose of cotton stock, he added.

PCGA senior member Shahzad Ali Khan said that the government had silently granted duty, sales tax free cotton, which was completely against the interests of domestic ginners and growers.

He stressed the need for continuation of ban on the import of duty free cotton. He strongly opposed any relaxation in cotton import. He expressed concern that if the import of cotton lint continued, it would destroy and damage the cotton production in the country during the next season.

Kisan Committee president Malik Iqbal also strongly condemned the government’s decision of importing duty free cotton. He said that the government policies were destroying growers and major cause in decline in production. He said that the growers had only one option to sell their produce but the current policies were discouraging domestic ginners.