Government mulling setting up fertiliser plants in country, National Assembly told

The National Assembly was informed on Thursday that the government was considering setting up of fertiliser plants in various parts of the country including Gawadar and Bin Qasim ports. In reply to a question of Pakistan Muslim League Shireen Arshad Khan, Parliamentary Secretary Haider Ali Shah said that the proposal to set up fertiliser plants was under consideration.
He said that shortage of 0.75 million tons DAP fertiliser was being met through import and assured to make sure that there would no shortage of the DAP in the country. He said that instead of shortage, 50,000 tons DAP would be more than the total requirement in the country. He said that there was only one DAP fertiliser manufacturer in the country namely Fauji Fertiliser Bin Qasim and study underlined the need to set up more facilities for manufacturing of both urea and DAP. Parliamentary Secretary said that Fauji Fertiliser and NFC have proposals for setting up new plants but the proposals are held up for want of natural gas. He said that alternate possibilities of liquid gas import are being considered.
Replying to another question by Qudsia Arshad about ban imposed by the government on the establishment of new sugar mills in the country, he said that as per 2006 industrial policy, neither new sugar mill nor enlargement of capacity of the existing sugar mills could be allowed in Punjab. For setting up of new sugar mills and expansion of existing units, the division of Hyderabad, Sukkar, Larkana and Karachi will be negative areas in Sindh. However, he said that there is no need of NOC to set up a new sugar mill as per 1999 notification by the provincial government.
Parliamentary Secretary informed the House that at present, there are 82 sugar mills operating in the country with annual production of 6.8 million tons. He said that sugar mills are operating on 60 percent capacity because of low production of sugarcane.
Responding to a question, Minister for Textile Industry, Makhdoom Shahabuddin said that during the last five year, yarn crisis was witnessed only in 2009. He said that crisis was due to shortage of cotton yarn in the international market. The Minister said that in the specific period excess quantities of cotton yarn were exported which led to a shortage in the domestic market.
Minister for Religious Affairs, Syed Khurshid Shah said that according to resolution passed by the National Assembly in 1974, the Federal Minister for Hajj and Auqaf should be authorised to nominate the members of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. He said that the Ministry of Religious Affairs is in continuous process to resolve grievances between Central Ruet-e-Halal Committee and Ulemas of government of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa.