Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab government has clarified that imposition of regulatory duty on import of luxury items will not hurt the poor.

While opening the general discussion on the government’s price control policy – especially after the imposition of regulatory duty on import of several products – in the Punjab Assembly on Friday, Punjab Minister for Trade Sheikh Allauddin said that imposition of regulatory duty would not affect the poor rather it would assist local growers to sale their commodities at good prices.

Legislators raised issues relating to problems being faced by growers and voiced their concern against sugarcane mills mafia and adulteration of milk.

In his opening speech, Sheikh Aalluddin said that the central government had imposed the regulatory duty for the benefit to local growers. He said that price of wheat was just Rs 730 per 40 kilogrammes in the international market but the government had fixed it at Rs 1,300 per 40 kilogrammes and that was why the government had imposed the duty on the import of wheat.

He said that the government had imposed 20 percent duty on chewing gum and 60 percent on imported cosmetic items, including lipsticks, lotions, powders and creams.

He said that a special tax of 25 percent should also be imposed on dining in hotels after 8pm

Referring to the recent hike in the prices of vegetables, especially tomato and onion, across the province, he said that the prices jumped up due to lack of tomato production in Balochistan. “But after the supply of tomato from Sindh the prices were slashed down to Rs 70 per kilogramme.

He informed the house that the government did not import tomato and onion from India for the sake of local growers. He also confirmed that the government could not impose any dumping duty over unavailability of any gadget to tackle the matter.

Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, however, rejected the minister’s claims, saying that the imposition of regulatory duty was injustice with the people. He said that the government should have imposed the duty in the annual budget.

He said that “failed” economic policies introduced by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar were responsible for dwindling exports and rising inflation. He demanded the government to announce the Punjab Agriculture Policy.

Later, the Punjab Assembly speaker adjourned the session until Monday.

Earlier, Food Minister Bilal Yasin admitted that nine sugar mills were yet to pay Rs 570 million to growers. He, however, claimed that 99.7 percent of payments had been done by sugar mills.

He said that the sale of tea whitener as well as lose oil had been banned by the government and action would be taken against violators.

Published in Daily Times, October 21^st 2017.