Potato exporters are running pillar to post to receive the amount of freight subsidy on potato export, announced early this year by the government.
According to well-placed sources, the amount is stuck up with Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) for the last eight months, which is between Rs 25 to 30 million.
Government had announced a 25 percent freight subsidy for potato exports and funds were transferred to EPB to distribute it among over 20 potato exporters.
In this regard, Government of Punjab transferred Rs 15 million to EPB but they too were held by EPB and were not given to exporters since eight months.
Unnecessary delay, sources said, in releasing the subsidy amount to exporters has severely affected their business and making their nights sleepless due to uncertainty over getting the money back on subsidy head.
It was informed that EPB is reluctant to release the amount, reasons best known to high ups of EBP, despite the fact that it had accepted the claims of potato exporters for subsidy.
Chairman MDS Chaudhry Mohammad Younas, a potato exporter told that not a single penny has been paid to exporters on subsidy by EPB despite transferring of amount by government.
"It was decided in January this year by Punjab Government in a meeting attended by Governor Punjab, Punjab Agriculture Minister and Secretary Agriculture Punjab to give subsidy to potato exporters," he told.
As a result of this decision, Punjab Government immediately transferred Rs 15 million to EPB to distribute among exporters. But EPB held this amount besides its own subsidy freight share announced in months of March and April.
Chaudhry Younas told that total amount of Punjab Government and EPB subsidy stands between Rs 25 to 30 million.
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