One-dish in marriage ceremonies under study

The government is considering taking a lenient view on serving one-dish at marriage ceremonies in a bid to provide much-needed boost to the poultry industry, which is in severe crisis due to bird flu rumours being aired by some vested interests having ulterior motives.
The Prime Minister's Advisor on Financial Affairs, Dr Salman Shah, expressed these views while talking to LCCI Senior VP Abdul Basit, says a press release issued here on Tuesday.
Dr Shah maintained that the government is quite conscious about the poultry situation and is taking appropriate measures to save this industry, which is providing not only employment to millions of people but also giving cheaper protein to the masses.
He said: "It is unfortunate that the rumour-mongers had played havoc with an industry with which a large number of small farmers are attached and which is earning big revenue for the country."
The LCCI Senior VP informed Dr Salman Shah that the Wedding Meals Ordinance is actually an attempt to keep Rs 450 billion out of circulation and once the ban is lifted it would give boost to the economic activity in the country.
He said: "The government should give at least 10-year tax exemption to new investment in the poultry sector as due to ongoing crisis-like situation there are little chances of any new investment, which is a bad omen for the future of the poultry industry."
Abdul Basit also invited the attention of the government's financial wizard towards high-power tariff for poultry industry. He said: Power is a major raw material for poultry industry but it is being charged at the rate of 10pc of its total consumption as commercial tariff while the small farmers, who are not entitled to B1 and B2 tariff are being charged 100pc as commercial tariff, which is a sheer injustice."
He urged the PM's Advisor to allow duty-free import of soyabean meal, being the most essential raw material, through trucks as the existing methodology of bringing in the commodity through train is not working the way it should.
He said that the government should allow duty-free import of pre-fabricated poultry sheds to save the industry from a total collapse as October 8 earthquake had already pushed it to the wall.