Millers seek SCCI’s help in lifting Bangladesh jute export ban

LAHORE: Jute millers have sought the help of Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in resolving the issue of Bangladesh export ban on the fibre.
Pakistan Jute Mills Association (PJMA), in a letter to the President SCCI Suraj Vaidya, requested him to immediately intervene into the matter.
“You are requested to intervene immediately into the situation to get the ban abolished in the best national interest of both Pakistan and Bangladesh,” Ahsan Ahmed Khan, Chairman PJMA said.
“You may like to activate all diplomatic and governmental channels of the member states to get the matter resolved on priority.”
Khan expressed his deep concern on the ban imposed by the government of Bangladesh on exports of raw jute from November 03, 2015
“The matter is quite serious as Pakistan, one of the biggest importers of Bangladesh jute, fulfills all basic raw material requirements of its jute industry from single country imports,” he said.
“It is also believed that the chamber is to play its role in case any confusion, misunderstanding or any unfair act towards the mutual trade is taken by any member state,” said the letter.
It said the ban came without any forewarning. “And the jolt thus received shall have drastic impact upon our industry; pushing it into deep and non-recoverable crises,” it added. “The storage of the crop yields especially of wheat, rice, grains and potatoes are likely to go waste throughout the country given a scenario of no supply of sacks.”
The association said the lifting and the transportation of the crops from farms to markets will also get adversely affected and thus the small farmers would be worst hit as they would not be able to sell their crops without the required Bardana (jute bags).
Chairman PJMA requested to the President SCCI to use his office to facilitate the immediate release of consignments for which letters of credit had already been established before the imposition of the ban.
“The government of Bangladesh should not renegade on prior commitments,” said the letter. SCCI was chartered for the purpose of promoting and regularising the economic (trade) and other developmental relations between all the member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
The strengthening of the relations between these countries through cooperation/collaboration to achieve better future for its citizens is one of its objectives. The members have South Asia free and preferential trade agreements.