PPA seeks one-year exemption from all taxes

Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA-Northern Zone) has urged the government to suspend all local, provincial and federal taxes for one year besides rescheduling of bank loans by the poultry sector enabling it to come out of the prevailing crisis being faced by it.
PPA Northern Zone Chairman Dr Muhammad Mustafa Kamal also suggested that recovery of loans by banks should also be deferred for two years and new loans should be extended to poultry farmers on soft terms as an immediate relief package. Dr Mustafa Kamal in a statement said that 40 percent of chicken meat is consumed in Pakistan while people are also consuming 60 eggs per capita yearly.
Due to favourable government policies and dedicated hard work of the farmers in the past the sector has been growing at around 10 percent per annum. Nevertheless, recent political unrest caused by 'Dharna' politics, the whole system of marketing ruined and resulted in to a big gap between demand and supply. Chicken meat and eggs were perishable commodities and could not sustain the pressure of market forces resulting into price-crash in this sector. He said farmers have lost their entire working capital and were at the verge of bankruptcy. If a relief package is not given to them at this stage it would result into the closure of 40 to 50 percent of the farms.
Highlighting this grim situation of poultry farmers and poultry sector, PPA Northern Zone Chairman urged that this sector should also be given 50 percent rebate on electricity bill for one year, cash compensation, new loans on soft terms, deferring the recovery of already given loans and suspension of all local, provincial and federal taxes.
Talking about cash compensation, PPA leader said that Rs 35 per kilogram compensation should be given to broiler farmers for all the broiler produced in 2014 and 2015, Rs 5 per chick to all day old chick producing hatcheries for last one year, Rs 20 per dozen of eggs produce, withdrawal of import duty on feed ingredients like soybean, sales tax on soya bean meal import, 75 percent rebate on freight for export, 20 percent export subsidy and withdrawal of sales tax on electricity bills.
Dr Mustafa Kamal called upon the government to immediately extend incentives in line with formula given above as a few more such months could cause irreversible losses. He also asked the Chief Minister Punjab to take personal interest and help the poultry farmers.