Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has urged the government to save the cotton sector from ruination and take steps to restrict establishment of sugar mills in cotton belt, impose ban on the cultivation of sugarcane in cotton zone. The PCGA also asked the govt to withdraw sales tax on oil-cake which caused the reduction in prices of oil-seed (binola) by Rs 700 per maund and cotton (Phutti) by Rs 500 maund.
Chairman of PCGA Mukhtar Ahmed Baloch while addressing a press conference here on Friday along with Vice Chairman Aasim Saeed Sheikh, Haji Muhammad Akra, group chairman and Shehzad Ali Khan demanded for immediate withdrawal of five percent sales tax on oil-cake (Khal) because oil mills owners were not taking interest in the purchase of 'binola' and there was no second buyer of oil-seed in the market consequently prices of Phutti and Binola had fallen down to Rs 500 and Rs 700 per maund, respectively. The PCGA has advised its member to purchase the Phutti carefully till the arrival of buyers of 'binola'. They said future of economy was attached with white gold if the government does not take measures to save the cotton crop from numerous diseases and viral attacks there would be catastrophic situation in the country.