The Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) has turned down exporters plea to allow export of pulses, containers of which are stuck up at Karachi Port for the last one month, sources told Business Recorder On Saturday.
They claimed the government had imposed ban on the export of pulses without any intimation to the stakeholders. Earlier the government had imposed 35 percent regulatory duty on the export of pulses to curb their exports with a view to controlling price hike of the commodity, they said.
"We were exporting the commodities by paying 35 percent regulatory, therefore, this step would hurt the process of revenue generation, besides export," said a leading exporter, whose containers of pulses are also stuck up at Karachi port.
They claimed that as a result of sudden ban on the pulses' export by the government during the last week of July, over a dozen containers got stuck up, while the exporter had paid duty for over 100 containers.
When the exporters contacted the Minfal and sought permission for the export of stuck up pulses, duty of which had been paid, the Minfal rejected their plea, they said, and added the customs officials had been instructed not to allow shipment of even a single container.
"We have paid all duties and taxes on stuck up pulses and due to this decision, the exporters have faced million of rupee losses," they added. They said that international buyers had also criticised the economic policies of Pakistan, and added after the clear-cut announcement of the Minfal the exporters had started to take back their export consignments.
Pakistan had a chance of being one of the top quality suppliers of gram (Chana), Moong and Maash pulses to all parts of the world, capturing markets, which were controlled by India for the last 40 years, said the exporters.
Pakistan was focusing on its agriculture sector for economic boom, but if the government policies were inconsistent, then not only its reputation was at stake, but the growers would also be discouraged to produce the commodity in a greater quantity ultimately resulting in unemployment, they added.
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