The Central Executive Committee of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has urged the government to introduce Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) as an alternative buyer to protect the interests of farmers who have produced 15.5 million bales of cotton this year to make Pakistan self-sufficient in cotton and saving foreign exchange of billions of rupees.
Presiding over a meeting of PCGA its chairman Masood A Majeed, said that the Government should make arrangements for regular supply of electricity to the ginning industry, regular patrolling of police for protection of ginners, and withdrawal of taxes on agriculture and ginning sectors.
The PCGA's CEC opposed the levy of taxes on oilcake, oilseed, and agricultural inputs which may emerge negative effects on this sector and said that the Government should pay premium to the farmers who make Pakistan self-sufficient in food and cotton. Now Pakistan is able to export its wheat, rice and cotton. The CEC also demanded representation of PCGA in the board of directors of Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco).
Senior Vice Chairman North zone Shehzad Ali Khan, ex -hairman of PCGA Muhammad Akram, Hafeez Anwar, Amanullah Qureshi, Mahesh Kumar, Mukhtar Ahmed Khan, Sadaruddin, Muhammad Azam, Farooq Ahmed, Aasim Saeed, Amjad Farooq Khanwa, Haq Nawaz Punian, Muhammad Javed Iqbal, Khalid Javed, Talib Hussain, Muhammad Ayyub, Shahbaz Ahmed, Masud Aarif, Akhtar Javed, and Ghulam Shabbir attended the meeting.
Rab Nawaz Lak presented the proceedings of 257th meeting for approval which was unanimously approved. The session also approved the Election Rules Circular. The CEC was informed that PCGA was constructing its offices in Bahawalpur with an estimated cost of Rs 5.5 million. The session also passed the expenditure of the office from October 1, 2010 to June 30,2011.
The CEC said that Ginners were the major stakeholder of textile sector but this sector was being neglected and it urged upon the authorities to frame new policies on agriculture, ginning and textile with the consent of PCGA. It warned that the government could not collect any tax from ginners if it levies any tax without the consent of PCGA.