RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has requested the government to fulfill commitments made throughout the year as the industry is in trouble.

This has been stated by Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) Chairman Mian Muhammad Javed Sohail Rahmani, Senior Vice Chairman Harish Kumar, Vice Chairman Hafiz Abdul Latif, Former Chairman Haji Muhammad Akram, Shahzad Ali Khan, Mahesh Kumar, Dr Jasomal, Former Vice Chairman Chaudhry Waheed Arshad, Sheikh Muhammad Asim Saeed, Mahar Mohammad Ashraf and Sarfraz Nazim.

Briefing the media, the office bearers of the PCGA along with senior member Masood Arif said that ginning industry is in a state of disarray due to the burden of taxes, reduction in crop size, corona pandemic and exploitative attitude of the government. The government’s failure to provide a comprehensive policy for the promotion of cotton and the failure to provide relief to cotton growers, ginning industry and oil mills in the budget is the cause of the destruction of cotton.

Despite assurances in 12 meetings with the concerned government ministers and the PCGA delegation, they failed to provide any concessions in the recent budget. The government forced by IMF has brought the ginning industry to the brink of disaster despite numerous appeals and petitions. Cotton ginning factories will not be operational in the 2020 cotton season.

The PCGA leaders said that current situation threatens the survival of the ginning industry and the cotton ginners have been forced to lock down their factories altogether. The government has paved the way for imported cotton by pursuing a foreign agenda instead of a domestic one, and the domestic cotton is in a state of disrepair and the crop size is steadily declining. It is very disappointing that despite the decision of the Economic Co-ordination Committee, the Animal Feed (oil-cake) has not been exempted from sales tax.

Pointing out the shortcomings in the Finance Bill, the PCGA leadership has submitted its recommendations to the three-member committee set up by the government and the 11-member committee set up by the FBR, as well as the Senate Standing Committee on Revenue. They appealed to the government to provide immediate relief for the survival of the ginning industry. In addition, the PCGA delegation will present proposals for relief to the Senate Standing Committee on June 22, 2020.

The PCGA Chairman appealed to the PM and the concerned govt ministers to remove the reservations of the ginning industry before the approval of the budget in the National Assembly.